In March, the City of Lompoc swore in longtime police captain Kevin Martin as the City’s new chief-of-police.
In his first half year at the helm of the Lompoc Police Department, Chief Kevin Martin says while staffing shortages remain the biggest issue, violent crimes are down, the department is taking action on property theft, and his officers are making an effort to be more present in the community.
“We are a very busy agency. We average about 38,000 calls a year. I have 22 people on my patrol staff that handle the initial response to those 38,000 calls,” Chief Martin told KSBY.
Since assuming interim police chief duties at the beginning of the year and being officially sworn in this past spring, Martin admits that competing with other local agencies to fill the department’s several open positions has been the biggest challenge.
“We are all competing for a lot of the same people, and the City is working diligently to increase the salaries for the staff here to help us hire qualified people and keep them here for long periods of time,” he added.
On the topic of crime, Martin says compared to last year, while violent crimes have seen a downward trend, new measures are in place to crack down on property theft and stolen vehicles.
“We worked with the County Housing Authority to install flock cameras in the community, which will help tremendously in solving some of our stolen vehicle issues,” explained Martin.
He says to date, 19 license plate reading flock cameras have been installed throughout Lompoc, with an additional 20 cameras that will soon be put up next.
He adds that at the next Lompoc City Council meeting, his department will seek authorization to use officer-worn body cameras to increase transparency.
“We really have to partner with the community to really affect the crime in this community. So, the first step is just for us to take the initiative and get different programs going,” he said.
As Martin continues serving as police chief, he will be working to increase opportunities for Lompoc neighbors to meet with officers on levels beyond calls for service.
For instance, last week the department participated in National Night Out Week, with additional community events coming up.
“Having these events and letting the public see us in a different light, it brings everybody together. Anytime we can do that, it is a win for the community,” Martin said.
He adds that in recent weeks, the Lompoc Police Department has also resumed positioning an additional motor officer on Lompoc streets to address ongoing traffic issues.
He says following last month’s approval from the Lompoc City Council, the department has been given the green light to bring on two more officers as well.
The Lompoc Police Department also has its 19th annual Car Show and Cruise Night, which kicks off Friday evening at the Civic Center Plaza off C Street.
