Lodi Police celebrate promotions, badge pinnings
With Thursday-afternoon temperatures almost in the triple digits, Lodi Police Capt. David Griffin welcomed the friends, family and fellow officers who had gathered in Carnegie Forum to celebrate two new officers having completed their probationary periods, and two veteran officers who were recently promoted.
“We are here to honor some of our newest lieutenants, sergeants, and some of our newest officers fresh off of probation for the Lodi Police Department,” Griffin said.
Griffin first welcomed Officer Regan Porteous, who in 2012 graduated from St. Mary’s High School with a soccer scholarship to California State University, Monterey Bay, where she got her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in human develop- ment.
“I’ve seen her playing soccer, and she is all business out on the field,” Griffin said.
Porteous was hired by the Lodi Police Department as a trainee in 2016 while she attended the San Joaquin Delta College Police Academy, and graduated in 2017 before being assigned as a patrol officer as well as serving on the recruiting team.
After her mother Tracy pinned the badge on the grinning Porteous, Griffin presented the new officer with a plaque containing a commemorative coin symbolizing her first year with the department, and spaces for coins marking future achievements.
“It’s just something we do to remind them of how important they are and how much we appreciate everything they do,” Griffin said.
Porteous thanked Griffin, her fellow officers and her family for sup- porting during her time as a cadet and a trainee, and for continuing to do so as she moves forward in her career.
“Thank you all very much. I have many years of service ahead of me, and I’m glad it’s in Lodi,” Porteous said.
Griffin then introduced Officer Joseph Hughes, a Tokay High School graduate who served as a student service officer at Delta College for four years before joining the Lodi Police Department as a cadet, earning his associate’s degree in criminal justice and attending Delta’s police academy.
After graduating from the academy, Hughes was hired as a police officer and in 2017 earned the Life-Saving Award for his role in rescuing a child from a dog attack, during which he sustained a dog bite.
“As a cadet, he did a phenomenal job and in the last year he did a phenomenal job, so we’re very glad to have him as an officer,” Griffin said.
Beaming with pride, mother Valerie Hughes pinned the badge on her son and Griffin presented him with his own coin plaque, Hughes took a moment to express his gratitude.
“I just want to say thank you to my family for all your support, I couldn’t have done it without you,” Hughes said. “I’d also like to thank the chief (Tod Patterson), the captains and the department. Without them, I wouldn’t have a job.”
After Porteous and Hughes were officially sworn in by city clerk Jennifer Ferraiolo, Griffin welcomed Sgt. Andre Belaski, who was recently promoted from the rank of corporal.
“Andre was one of my first trainees,” Griffin said. “He was a pleasure to have in the car, and I really loved working with him.”
Belaski began his law enforcement career as a patrol deputy with the Solano County Sheriff ’s Department in 2003, before joining the Lodi Police Department in 2006 where he has been a K-9 handler, cadet advisor, defensive tactics and impact weapons instructor and a member of both the Major Accident Investigations and Critical Incident Negotiations Team.
Belaski also serves on the department’s honor guard and the newly-formed Mobile Field Force Team, and has received three letters of appreciation and one letter of commendation so far.
One of Belaski’s daughters, Annalise, pinned her father’s badge on his chest before her sister Audrina, placed a lei around his neck to honor their Hawaiian heritage.
“It’s an honor to accept this position as sergeant,” Belaski said. “When I got the call from the chief that I was being promoted, I still had five days left on probation as corporal. I guess I’m on the two-year probation track, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Griffin then welcomed Lt. Eric Versteeg, recently promoted from sergeant, who first joined the Lodi Police Department as a dispatcher/jailer in 2003 before enrolling in the academy in 2006, after which he worked as a patrol officer and served on the Motors Unit, SWAT and Major Accident In- vestigations ( MAIT) teams, among others.
“For a while, he held the record for arresting the most DUI drivers out of anybody in the department,” Griffin said. “That just goes to show his dedication to keeping Lodi safe from drunk drivers.”
Versteeg was promoted to sergeant in 2012, and has since led the SWAT Team, supervised the traffic unit and MAIT, helped develop policies and procedures and ran the body camera program.
Versteeg’s wife Marie pinned his badge onto his chest, and his son Jackson and daughter Gillian pinned his gold lieutenant’s bars to the lapels of his shirt before hugging him as they all smiled proudly.
“I’d like to thank my family for all their support over the years. As some of our new officers will find out, it’s not just you who joins the police department, your whole family joins with you,” Versteeg said. “It’s a great honor, and I’m excited to work with some really exceptional officers not just in Lodi, but in the surrounding areas as well.”
As friends and family flocked to congratulate and take pictures with their loved ones, Griffin extended his gratitude not only to them, but to the volunteers from the Lodi Police Partners Program who provided refreshments for the afternoon.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming out today and showing your support,” Griffin said. “We really appreciate it.”