Lodi Police Department welcomes new animal services officer, administrative staff
As the Lodi Police Department works to replace the continual cycle of retirees and other reasons why officers and other personnel leave vacancies, two new staff members were welcomed into the Lodi Police Department on Tuesday.
Animal Services Officer Jordan Kranich received his badge in the department’s badge pinning ceremony to help fill a much needed vacancy in the Animal Services Unit. Previously, Brena DeFazio was promoted from Animal Services to work in the records division but was called to help while they searched for and trained a new full-time employee.
Kranich is a Lodi native who enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2002, serving two of his 10 years in the military in Afghanistan. He reached the rank of sergeant when he left in 2012. He later earned his associate’s degree in animal science from Carrington College and worked as a veterinary technician at Arbor Pet Clinic for eight years before coming to the Lodi Police Department. Kranich has two children and is engaged to be married this fall.
“I want to thank my parents for pushing me in the right direction and I want to thank my fiancé for convincing me to put in an application,” he said.
He also thanked officers in the department for recruiting him to the job and giving him the opportunity.
Kranich is now one of two full-time animal control officers and a working supervisor who take on the role of answering calls of stray animals and animal cruelty among many other duties, according to Lodi Police Lt. Sierra Brucia.
Also helping with animal services are three full-timers and five part-timers who help care for the animals in the shelter and the volunteer hours of PALS, which helps with adoptions.
With this new addition, the animal services and records in the department will be fully staffed until another planned retirement later this year in the records department.
Also joining the team as a management analyst was Jenelle BakerBechthold, who will be helping the department manage its budget.
“She brings a wealth of knowledge to us and we greatly appreciate that,” said Lodi Police Chief Tod Patterson.
Baker-Bechthold was born in Lodi and raised near Victor. She graduated from Lodi High School and went on to attend San Joaquin Delta College and California State University, Sacramento where she earned her bachelor’s in organizational communications.
She began her career at Kelley Services in Rancho Cordova as a staffing supervisor and later accepted an administrative position at Waste Management working on projects and grants with the City of Lodi. She also has experience working for the City of Stockton’s Human Resources Department as a risk analyst before coming to the Lodi Police Department. Baker-Bechthold is married and has two children.
In taking this new position, she thanked the department for giving her the opportunity.