California Police Department expands services for safety and security

The east side of the California City Hall building is designated as the California Police Department.
The east side of the California City Hall building is designated as the California Police Department.

The California Police Department is constantly seeking ways to provide increased safety and security for the residents of the community. This has resulted in additional programs, increased training and additions to the full-time police force.

"Project Night Eyes" is a business watch program which has been in force for nearly a year. There is also a Vacation Watch for residents and a MedReturn box for the drop off of unneeded or outdated medications. The department conducts several different training programs including: training in ways to avoid and react to Workplace Violence; an Active Shooter training for schools; Crime Prevention for Banks; and an "email alert" set up to alert businesses to problems such as fraud and counterfeit bills.

These new programs are some of the ways the City of California Police Department serves the community 24/7 with a full-time staff of seven officers, five reserve officers and a police clerk. Although not a part of protecting the community, a new program - a Color Guard - provides an additional service. In addition to new shoulder patches, the officers' uniforms have a more professional look with pinstripes on the pants and new Air Force-style caps. The department is also in the process of developing additional programs to ensure the safety and security of the people in the community. The department is assisted in this task by the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center.

The department has seven fully equipped pursuit vehicles dispatched by radio and the officers are equipped with "body cameras".

The California Police Department works out of a facility designated "Police Department" by letters on the east side of the California City Hall. The police reception, staffed by the police clerk, is reached through a separate entrance on the south side of the building or via a connecting door from the west or main entrance of the City Hall.

The department includes separate offices for the police chief and assistant police chief as well as five cubicles for the full-time and reserve officers and a break room. There is also a separate booking area, two interview rooms, an evidence room and a modern holding cell.

There are two garages which can be used to secure impounded vehicles or maintain police vehicles during inclement weather. There is also a sally port between the garage and holding cell to bring additional security during a prisoner transfer.

In addition to Police Chief Mike Ward and Clerk Kathy Roll, full-time personnel are: Cpt. Dale Embry, Sgt. Scott Harkins, and officers Kevin Feltrop, Aaron Nichols, Rafael Ayala and Tyler Zumwalt. Reserve officers are: John McNay, Rex Martensen, Lindell Reed, Stevens Phillips and Jeffrey Fitzwater.

The officers are certified with POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training). POST certification is done by the Missouri Department of Public Safety. All of this from a department which started with one night police officer who started July 13, 1950, with a desk for the police officer in the California City Hall, and one basic two-door sedan police car.