Fabian Valdez is the new chief of the San Fernando Police Department. Valdez was formerly with the San Gabriel Police Department for 24 years.
"At the San Gabriel Police Department, I worked a variety of assignments. I started out as a patrol officer and worked my way up to captain. And that has given me a depth of experience that now I bring to the San Fernando Police Department," said Valdez.
Valdez is bilingual and is fluent in Spanish. He also has a hidden talent: martial arts.
"I'm not aware of any chiefs of police that study Brazilian Jujitsu. I think it just speaks volumes, volumes about the journey that one must undertake as a leader in that we always have to be looking for ways to grow and be better.
And I think that's really something that makes me unique," said Valdez.
When selecting a new chief, the San Fernando city manager said Valdez had the proper leadership skills and values the city was looking for.
"Fabian really stood out as being a really excellent fit for what the community was looking for, for what I'm looking for in priorities for our police department in the coming years. So we're really excited to have him come on board," said San Fernando City Manager Nick Kimball.
"I think that he has some great ideas and a great vision for the department. So I'm really looking forward to working with him as a part of his command staff," said Lieutenant Irwin Rosenberg
As the new chief of the San Fernando Police Department, Fabian Valdez hopes to bridge the gap between police officers and members of the community to rebuild a relationship.
"I want to engage the community. That means going out and proactively soliciting and determining what the needs of the community are. It is important to establish those relationships and that's what I'm committed to," said Valdez.
Valdez is getting sworn in as the new chief of the San Fernando Police Department this month.
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