Wasco, Arvin police unite for public safety

The Wasco Police Department and Arvin Police Department have announced a long-term collaboration to enhance police operations, training and interagency relationships.

WPD Chief of Police Charles Fivecoat said, "We have used the same model throughout my time as a chief, even when I was in Shafter. The idea is to maximize resources to benefit our communities' citizens, which is why this collaboration is good."

"You look at all the officers, sergeants, lieutenants and everybody; they all have different things they bring to the table that we can all mutually benefit from. The overwhelming thing about this concept is that it mutually benefits us all."

The collaboration will allow for information sharing, training and professional development and coordination in crisis response.

About information sharing, Fivecoat said, "It could involve new technology or case decisions through the courts and how they affect the agencies, or maybe a new tactical procedure that helps our ability to do our job. It's information sharing to help understand the problems better."

Information sharing also involves the exchange of intelligence and data, enhancing the ability to solve cases and prevent crimes.

With training and professional development, sharing training resources and expertise ensures officers are well-equipped to handle diverse situations. "We're trying to use everybody's expertise to develop the best practices," Fivecoat said.

During large-scale emergencies or crises, collaboration between police agencies becomes crucial for an effective and coordinated response, he explained. This ensures that resources are deployed efficiently and that the safety and well-being of the community are prioritized.

The collaboration with the Arvin Police Department is up and running. Fivecoat said, "It's working very effectively, and I'm looking forward to doing the same with all the agencies we work with, including virtually every agency in the County of Kern and some in the County of Tulare."

Arvin Chief of Police Alex Ghazalpour agrees.

"It's a fantastic thing. Anytime agencies can resource share or have the ability to collaborate, it

helps both our respective communities as a whole, and that's a huge benefit."

"Our cities have similar issues when it comes to law enforcement needs. Anytime we can help

each other out and collaborate, it becomes a win-win situation for the residents and businesses in

our cities. Case in point, if the city of Arvin had a major incident that occurred, it would be great to pick up the phone and ask for our neighboring agencies to help us, which they do.

"When we look at the collaboration with Wasco, it's good to have additional resources that can

come to us from a city further away from us. Resource sharing and collaboration isn't a new

concept, but it's one that oftentimes isn't utilized as much."

He sees several areas that are good fits for information sharing.

"I look at technology; the city of Wasco and Arvin, along with some other cities in Kern County,

has the same technology, such as body-worn cameras and dispatch software, which reiterates the

need for collaboration and really helps with collaborations with police departments."

"Being able to assist the Wasco Police Department in their start-up process and allowing their

officers and dispatch personnel the ability to utilize our equipment that they will be using makes

for a better training and understanding and ultimate success for their police department."