Lancaster welcomes new public safety director

The city of Lancaster recently named Rodrick Armalin as its new Public Safety Director, heading up the Public Safety Department’s team of Rangers, Code Enforcement Officers, and its newest Hybrid Policing effort.

Armalin comes to Lancaster as a 34-year law enforcement veteran, having most recently served as the Chief of Police for the City of Sierra Madre. He started his career with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), where he spent 32 years before retiring from the department at the rank of Captain.

“As we welcome Rodrick to Lancaster, I’m excited for this opportunity to strengthen Public Safety and to see where his leadership will take the Public Safety Department,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. “I look forward to seeing Rodrick implement the city’s vision for a hybrid policing model, where the department will take on more of the community’s day-to-day concerns to free up our contracted sheriff deputies for the higher-priority affairs where we most need their help.”

As Public Safety Director, Armalin will work in partnership with LASD to implement Lancaster’s new hybrid law enforcement model. Through the hybrid model, Lancaster’s Public Safety Department will address chronic and repetitive issues that are currently drawing on LASD’s resources. It will also build community capacities and address the perceptions of public safety and various non-emergency quality of life issues. The disbursement of public safety work will allow the LASD to focus on emergent crime-related matters that need immediate law enforcement attention.

“This new addition to our staff will further improve our efforts from a public safety perspective,” said Lancaster City Manager Jason Caudle. “I am excited to welcome Rodrick to our leadership team and cannot wait to work alongside him and support the city council’s goals together.”

“I am excited to be here to serve as Lancaster’s Public Safety Director,” Armalin said. “As someone born and raised in LA County, I’ve been familiar with Lancaster for decades and I believe my experiences have prepared me to lead the Lancaster Public Safety Department as we serve the needs of our great community.”

Lancaster’s new hybrid public safety model, blending support from the reconfigured Lancaster Public Safety Department with Lancaster’s existing contract with the LA Sheriff’s Department, is a result of more than 1.5 years of research and development by City of Lancaster staff and the consulting firm Hillard Heintze.

[Information via news release from the city of Lancaster.]

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