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New MLPD officer sworn in |
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Thursday, 07 August 2008 |
By Erick Sugimura
Mammoth Times Staff Writer
 Daniel Hansen, Mammoth's newest police officerMAMMOTH TIMES PHOTO/ERICK SUGIMURA
“My uncle was an L.A. County deputy,” Hansen said of his motivations. “That sparked my interest in it [police work] and I did some research. I want to give back to the community I grew up in, sort of along the same lines as working for Search and Rescue.” The sentiment is shared by his brother, Jason, who is a firefighter in Southern California.
When asked about the growing challenges that the MLPD faces, Hansen noted, “The biggest change is the population has changed a lot, there's a different culture. Hopefully, we can get crime under control. The biggest key is trying to prevent crime, minimize it in Mammoth.”
Police Chief Randy Schienle echoed a similar sentiment about the changing population of town. “Without question, we have more violent crime [in Mammoth]. There's almost an inbred lack of respect for authority in many of the people our officers come in contact with,” Schienle said. “That's why we hire people who are smart, people who have a personality that allows them to understand what it takes to work in a tourist-based community, who don’t operate in a black and white world.”
Chief Schienle clarified that Officer Hansen's position is not new, but was one that was created when the town accepted the Office of Traffic Safety grant in October of 2007. Hansen is filling a vacancy that was created when Officer David Scobie was assigned to work traffic enforcement as part of that grant. Scobie, in his new position of Traffic Safety Officer, will have his salary and benefits 100 percent paid for by the grant, though this next fiscal year only 50 percent of his salary and benefits will be covered.
Currently, the MLPD has authorization for 23 sworn officers and has one existing vacancy, which will not be filled at this time due to current budgetary constraints. There is also a vacant community service officer position that is not being filled.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 14 August 2008 )
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