Lodi Police Department promotes Brucia to captain
Capt. Sierra Brucia couldn’t help but grin on Wednesday morning as he sat in his chair behind his new desk, deciding how he wanted to decorate his new office at the Lodi Police Department after being promoted to captain of the operations division earlier this week by Chief Tod Patterson.
“This has probably been the hardest personnel decision I’ve made in my entire career, because this position is so important. I think the biggest thing, for me, is his serious work ethic,” Patterson said. “Sierra is well-educated, he’s driven. He can be a bit of a task master at times, but he’s someone who fosters great relationships with the city. I think that with his work ethic, thought process and abilities, he’ll be able to lead our department forward in the coming years.”
Brucia is now responsible for the department’s patrol and traffic operations as well as the Chaplain’s Program and the volunteer Partners Program, he said, the next step in his career that has spanned nearly 23 years so far.
“Monday was my first day. I’ve been off patrol for the last three years, so I’d really like to get back into that side of the department and see how things have changed, find out what their needs are and help meet those needs,” Brucia said.
Staffing is one issue Brucia hopes to tackle soon.
The department currently has 62 sworn officers, Brucia said, although a few police academy graduates are scheduled to begin field training soon.
“We’ll also be promoting two new lieutenants in the next couple of weeks, so I want to make sure they get the training and mentorship they need. I also want to sit down with all the patrol lieutenants and identify what their goals for this year are going to be,” Brucia said.
Brucia also plans to pursue grants to buy new equipment, he said, such as mobile data computers and new patrol cars.
“I’m very excited to be taking on this role, and I’d like to thank the chief and the department for putting their trust in me. I’m going to do the best job I can not only for the chief and the department, but for our community as well,” Brucia said.
As optimistic as he was, Brucia also acknowledged some of the challenges he expects to face, such as changes in how law enforcement agencies report crimes and improving transparency by releasing information and connecting with the community.
Patrol officers will also face the challenge of what Brucia called “non-traditional policing,” such as responding to calls involving people with mental illnesses and the homeless population, he said, which requires an entirely different type of training than what was common in years past.
“I think there are things we can do, we can be progressive in the next couple of years to meet these challenges. The nature of my job is to look at these things and put the department in the best possible situation to meet these challenges,” Brucia said.