Lathrop Police Department Transition History

As of June 29, 2022, the City of Lathrop Police Department opened to the public and is now fully operational. This page will remain available to the general public for informational purposes, and background on the transition process.

This page is dedicated to the Lathrop Police Department transition, CIP GG 21-11, project information.

Why Now?

The City of Lathrop is currently transitioning to its own Police Department. City Council and Staff have worked diligently, for about the past decade, on achieving financial stability and are confident that now is the ideal time for Lathrop to transition to a City Police Department. With Lathrop’s economy and population continuing to grow, it makes economic sense to move forward with the City’s own Police Department, which equates to more officers, lower budget, personalized services and predictable costs. The City’s tax base and development activity are solid indicators that a municipal Police Department will be able to provide the community the high level of service that they have come to expect from City Hall.

• The Right Move, Right Now
• Investing In Our Future
• FAQ
• Why We Need Our Own Police Department
• Get to know more about Lathrop - Watch the LathropSMART Video
• Come Live, Work and Play in the City of Lathrop
• Watch an extended interview with (former) Lathrop Police Chief Raymond Bechler  (July 2022 to September 2023)
  • Chief of Police Stephen Sealy (September 2023 to Current)
• Progress Continues for the New Lathrop Police Department - November 2021 Update
• Progress Continues for the New Lathrop Police Department - December 2021 Update
• Progress Continues for the New Lathrop Police Department - January 2022 Update
• Meet and Greet with (former) Lathrop Police Chief and Police Commanders
• Progress Continues for the New Lathrop Police Department - February 2022 Update
• Progress Continues for the New Lathrop Police Department - March 2022 Update
• Progress Continues for the New Lathrop Police Department - April 2022 Update
• New -  Progress Continues for the New Lathrop Police Department - May 2022 Update

 POLICE DEPARTMENT RECRUITMENT

For Questions Process Please Contact:

• Juliana Burns

Human Resources Director

(209) 941-7350

jburns@ci.lathrop.ca.us

• Staff Report Approving New Police Department Classifications & Compensation Plans
• Public Safety Classification Specifications
• Salary Schedule and Sworn Compensation Plan Benefits 
• Watch Recruitment Video
• FAQ - Regarding Recruitment Process for New Lathrop Police Department

SURVEY RESULTS

The City of Lathrop continues to move through a transition process towards activating its own Police Department to better serve its residents. To help inform the selection process for the City’s first Police Chief, a community survey was mailed to each household and made available on our website. Over 500 surveys were returned during the comment period, providing an invaluable glimpse into the priorities and interests of Lathrop’s population.

A considerable amount of time was spent reviewing each survey and distilling the open comment portions. As evidenced by the thoroughness of the responses, each survey participant invested a significant amount of time and consideration when drafting their feedback. The report of the survey results is available (here), the following are some of the key takeaways.

Some of the attributes the residents of Lathrop value include:

• Police representatives who interact with and are involved in the community.
• Being kept informed on local issues of concern.
• Having a visible police presence at all hours of the day.
• Respectful, friendly and approachable police officers.
• Police officers who understand and recognize the diversity within our community.
• Police officers who listen to the community.
• Police officers who are transparent and accountable for their actions.

City staff extends their appreciation to all the respondents who took the time to complete the survey. Undoubtedly, this information will greatly aid the Police Chief selection process, due to be concluded soon. To stay up-to-date on the Lathrop Police Department Transition, be sure to visit our homepage often and sign up to receive updates via email.

Lathrop Police Department Transition Timeline - April 2021 to July 2022

Milestones include key benchmarks in the process to form a new City of Lathrop Police Department and represents the best estimates for completion.

Note: Some of these items span multiple months. These milestones are not intended to represent all tasks.

Presentations & Updates to City Council

• March 22, 2021 - Presentation Approving CIP GG 21-11
• May 10, 2021 - Project Progress Update to Council
• October 11, 2021 - Project Progress Update to Council
• January 10, 2022 - Project Progress Update to Council
• February 14, 2022 - Project Progress Update to Council
• March 14, 2022 - Project Progress Update to Council