Arcadia Police Department's PACE office in the Westfield Shoppingtown mall has a new name and sign. It is now called Arcadia Police Department-Community Services and two officers, Sgt. Bob Guthrie and Officer Paul van der Noorn, are now manning the station in the lower level, near JC Penney.
Dave Hinig, Arcadia Police Chief, discusses changes in the department over the last thirty years, including new technology, new crimes, community composition and new hires.
Arcadia Police Officer Sharleen Wilson, a 16-year department veteran, is suing the Police Department and City Hall for alleged sexual discrimination and harassment.
The Automatic License Plate Recognition system will soon be implemented at Westfield Santa Anita Shoppingtown and Santa Anita Park race track to monitor vehicles entering and exiting. License plate numbers will be run through criminal databases.
The union for the Arcadia Police Department and the Arcadia City Council have reached an agreement. The contract gives officers a 24.4% increase in salaries and benefits over the next 4 years. The department is still down by 14 officers.
Captain Rick Sandona read the names of California peace officers killed in the line of duty during 1999 at the annual Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony and Law Enforcement Appreciation Service.
The U.S. House & Senate Committee approved 4900,000 to help the Arcadia Police department convert its current radio equipment to narrow band technology.
Arcadia Police Chief David Hinig bestowed the Police Department's Medal of Merit on Detective Stan Flores and Life Saving medals on patrol officers John Jurman and Jennifer Casillas.
Officer Jose Ponce was sworn in to the Arcadia Police Department on Tuesday, but the department is still short-staffed by fourteen officers. The department is authorized to employ seventy-five swon officers. The shortage has caused cuts to programs. Other San Gabriel Valley police agencies are suffering from lack of qualified applicants.
Officer Troy Hernandez, now with Arcadia Police Department, formerly of South Gate Police Department, along with three other South Gate Police officers, is taking a racial discrimination and retaliation case against the City of South Gate to trial.
All sworn officers of the Arcadia Police Department have been specially trained and certified in the use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs). Each officer on patrol is equipped with an AED.
Arcadia Police Department Chaplain Tom Shriver (shown in photo) and other chaplains sponsor a Law Enforcement Appreciation Service at the Church of the Transfiguration in Arcadia. The service was dedicated to fellow officers killed in the line of duty in 2002. None were from the Arcadia Police Department.
Construction has started on the expansion of the Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita. There will be two parking structures to replace current surface parking, 104,400 square feet of retail space, 18,400 square feet of restaurants, a 7,800 square foot food court, 45,000 square feet of specialty stores, 54,300 square feet of movie theaters, and a 5,400 square foot auto center. The tenant list includes an AMC theater, Borders bookstore, and a Sports Chalet. The expansion is scheduled to be completed September 2004. City manager Bill Kelly said Arcadia will proceed to expand Fire Station 105 to serve as the new fire department headquarters and will rebuild Station 106. The city is considering building a new City Hall and youth center from city revenues from Santa Anita Park. The new police station, the first city facility partly financed through bonds, will be open this fall. A $1/2 million project to remodel City Council Chambers is finally complete, with the opening of the council conference room.