NEW OFFICERS ARE PINNED, SWORN IN
CHICO >> The Chico Police Department celebrated and welcomed five recent hires to the force during a ceremony Thursday, some of whom have already been working with the department over the last several months.
Officers Michael Vincent, Timothy Simpson and Juan Jose Valencia were sworn in by Chico City Clerk Debbie Presson, and all three, as well as community services officer Samuel Noble and public safety dispatcher Diego Arzate Navarro had their badges pinned during the ceremony.
Chico Police Chief Matt Madden led the ceremony, introducing all five and providing a bit of background on each of them.
“It’s been interesting times, to say the least over the last year with COVID and some of the things that are going on more on a national level, but as the chief of police, I can tell you this is a noble profession,” Madden said. “It’s an honor to see young men and women that want to serve their community, and are willing to make the sacrifice and dedication to do that. It’ll be our job to take good care of them as they go out into the community and do their jobs.”
Vincent, who was born and raised in San Jose, earned a bachelor’s degree from Chico State in 2011 and during his final semester, interned with the Chico Police Department.
He subsequently joined the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office in 2013, serving as a special operations detective assigned to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, in addition to being a member of the SWAT team.
Simpson grew up in North Carolina and earned his bachelor’s degree from Florida’s Pensacola Christian College in 2018. He then graduated from the Butte College Police Academy in December 2020.
Simpson started the Chico Police Department field training program during the same month and is nearing completion, Madden said. Simpson’s father-in-law Garet Taylor is a community services officer with the Police Department.
Valencia, a Chico native, earned a bachelor’s degree from Chico State and subsequently graduated from the Butte College Police Academy in December 2020. Like Simpson, Valencia is also nearing completion in the department’s field training program after beginning in December.
Madden said the three officers took an oath of affirmation prior to stepping into the field, but they were ceremonially sworn in again Thursday, led by Presson.
Noble is originally from Fresno. He attended Clovis North High School, before earning an associate’s degree from Clovis Community College and a bachelor’s degree from Chico State. He joined the department in December 2020 after working for nine months as an armed private security guard.
Navarro, who hails from Vallejo, is the middle sibling of nine children. In 2015, he was the student ambassador for the city of Richmond in Japan. He earned an associate’s degree from Solano Community College, then transferred to Chico State where he earned a bachelor’s degree and graduated with honors.
Each of the five men had their badge pinned by a family member in attendance, or in the case of Navarro, Madden did the honors. The police chief said one of the reasons the department holds the ceremonies publicly is to highlight the symbolic act of a community member pinning a badge on an officer, and the power it represents.
“The authority of being a sworn police officer comes from the state of California and the requirements they have (completed), but the power of that badge comes from the community,” Madden said. “I want the officers to know that, as they go through the rest of their careers, that the community is counting on you. They’re the ones that give you the power to go out and do your job.”