Chief Dan Dreiling

A word from the Chief

Captains

Sergeant

Officers

Detectives

Service Officer

Communications

School Resource Officer

Reserve Officers

Job Opportunities

Community Relations

Events

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Chief Dan Dreiling

Dan Dreiling’s career at the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department started when he was hired as a police officer in 1981. He worked as a uniformed patrol officer until 1987. He is extremely proud of his early years on the department, during which he was instrumental in starting “Student and the Law” at the High School. Dan wrote the curriculum and taught “Student and the Law” at the Palos Verdes High School for approximately three years. Many of his former students continue to keep in touch with him and have themselves, entered the law enforcement profession with other cities. In 1987 Dan was assigned as a police detective and worked in this capacity for two years until he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and placed in charge of the detective bureau. In 1990, Dan graduated from the prestigious FBI - National Academy for Law Enforcement, Class 163. In 1993, he went back to patrol as a sergeant where he worked as a watch commander until his promotion to lieutenant in 1996. During that time, as a collateral duty, Dan revised and rewrote the entire departmental policy and procedures manual. For the first time, the manual was bound and officially sanctioned by the Chief of Police and the City Attorney. In 2001, the lieutenant position was reclassified and Dan received the title of captain. Recently, Dan was appointed as Chief of Police. He was officially sworn in as Chief of Police on March 23, 2004.  One program he is most proud of as Police Chief is PVE-CARES, a program designed to render greater assistance and protection to the elderly.  It is a one-of-a-kind approach.  The successful program is being considered by other municipalities interested in implementing their own comparable program.

Some of Dan’s other accomplishments include:

Bachelor of Science Degree
Graduate of the Delinquency Control Institute
Awarded the Medal of Valor
Presented with the Palos Verdes Estates’ Neptune Award

All things included, Dan is most proud of his family. He is married to his wife Robin for over 29 years. He has two sons, Daniel Jason (DJ) and Brian.

Captains

Captain Mark Velez was raised in the South Bay and graduated from Bishop Montgomery High School. After graduating high school, Mark was hired by the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department as a non-sworn Service Officer. Throughout the years Mark has held the positions of Reserve Police Officer, Police Officer, Detective, Field Training Officer, and Sergeant. He is currently the Captain of Administration which is made up of the detective bureau, budgeting, and project management.

In his spare time, Mark likes to plan vacations with his wife Andrea, exercise, and read. Mark looks forward to working at the police department for many years to come and enjoys feedback from the community.

Mark enjoys feedback from the community and can be reached at mvelez@pvestates.org

Sergeant Position

Definition:
The Police Sergeant, working under the direction of the Chief of Police and/or the Police Commander, performs responsible supervisory and technical law enforcement duties, directing the activities within a departmental division or watch.

Duties:
The Police Sergeant carries out the departmental objectives by supervising and participating in activities of patrol, investigations, and administrative support, or jail functions; serves as Watch Commander; supervises employees to ensure proper compliance with, and proper enforcement of laws, ordinances, departmental rules, and regulations; handles difficult police problems and complaints; makes periodic inspection of officers on their tour of duty; recommends disciplinary action if necessary; supervises and participates in the collection, preservation, and presentation of evidence, abiding by the rules pertaining to search and seizure; supervises booking and jailing procedures on an assigned watch; interviews suspects, witnesses, and victims. In addition to these regular duties, the sergeant may be assigned one or more of the following collateral duties: scheduling, stats, policy manual, jail management, range master, SPCA liaison and reserve officers, oversee disaster preparedness, Neighborhood Watch programs; conducts personnel background investigations, employee evaluations and does related work as needed.

Experience and Education:
Graduation from high school; 60 units of college courses with emphasis on Police Sciences or a related field; attainment of a Supervisory or Intermediate P.O.S.T. Certificate, three years of experience in law enforcement. Must have a valid California Class "C" driver's license.

Abilities:
Supervise and train subordinate employees; operate standard police radio system; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with others; analyze situations effectively; employ principles and practices of law enforcement; write clear and comprehensive reports. Make quick, valid decisions. Employ good, sound, tactical techniques.

Physical Requirements:
Moderate to arduous. Sergeants are routinely required to perform activities, which demand good physical condition.

Officers

Officer Kenneth Ackert

Definition:
The Police Officer, working under the direction of the Chief of Police and/or a Police Sergeant or Commander; enforces laws and ordinances to prevent crime, protect life and property, and maintain peace and order.

Duties:
The Police Officer enforces City, County, State, and Federal laws-, patrols the City area in a patrol car and on foot; answers calls for the protection of life and property; conducts preliminary follow-up investigations of crimes and crime scenes, accidents, and deaths; gathers, preserves, and analyzes facts and evidence; directs traffic; enforces the laws through use of verbal warnings, the issuance of citations, and arrest; interviews witnesses, victims, and suspects; testifies in court; serves warrants and subpoenas; prepares reports; investigates suspicious persons and circumstances- gives information and direction to the public; responds to police and fire scenes or other emergencies to assist in the protection of life and property; handles radio, dispatch, and other similar duties; performs some animal control duties; may undertake such special duties such as K-9 Officer; trains newly hired officers; does related work as needed.

Experience and Education:
Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent; two years of college course work preferable. Must have a valid California Class "C" driver's license.

Abilities:
Must have basic knowledge of computer keyboard and posses good verbal and written English skills; understand and interpret laws, rules and other written materials; judge situations and people accurately; think and act quickly in emergencies; operate
standard radio system; employ principles and practices of law enforcement work, including patrol, investigations, custody, and identification; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.

Physical Requirements:
Moderate to arduous - may be required to perform skills which demand strength and control. Must be able to pass physical agility testing without any accommodation.

Detectives

The PVEPD Detective Bureau consists of one Sergeant and three detectives. One detective is currently assigned to a multi-jurisdictional task force coordinated by U.S. Customs The goal of this task force is to find, investigate and arrest major crime offenders.

The Sergeant and other Detectives are responsible for the investigation of crimes and the arrest of offenders in the following areas:

• Crimes Against Persons
• Property Crimes
• Economic Crimes
• Sex Crimes
• Domestic Violence
• Juvenile Crimes
• High Tech/Computer crimes

Proactive crime prevention is accomplished by keeping current and active in the following areas:

• Vice/Narcotics
• Criminal Intelligence
• Advanced Training

In addition to the above, it is the responsibility of the detectives to coordinate and file cases with the District Attorney.

Service Officer

Definition:
The Services Officer, under general supervision, provides for the processing, security, health, safety, and feeding of prisoners and receiving, storing and releasing of property. The Services Officer maintains records; takes reports and answers inquiries; dispatches police units via voice radio; performs clerical tasks including computer data entry; answers 911 emergency phone calls and does related work as required or assigned.

Duties:
Services Officers are non-sworn personnel assigned to the police department. Duties which may be either permanently or sporadically assigned include: Booking, fingerprinting, searching and care for prisoners confined in City jail facilities; supervising trusty prisoners on work assignments; receive and dispose of incoming telephone and voice radio calls, dispatch police units, secure and record information as to emergency calls, patrol assigned areas for the purpose of enforcing laws and ordinances related to all types of parking violations, write and issue citations for violations. Services Officers may be assigned to traffic control during peak traffic hours or maybe assigned as court liaison for filing misdemeanor complaints with the District Attorney's office. The Services Officers shall accept property and evidence and issue receipts for same; they will tag property for identification and maintain records for all property in custody; they will release and/or dispose of such property in accordance with State and local laws and department regulations. Services Officers maybe assigned to Municipal Code Enforcement, compiling data, preparing reports, typing and filing details. Testimony in court may be required on occasion. Shift work, weekends and holidays will be required. The normal schedule is the 3/12 plan. They may be required to be on call when not actually working and perform other related duties as required.

Experience and Education:
Graduation from high school or G.E.D. certificate; posses a valid California Class "C" driver's license. Be of high moral character, with a clean criminal history (no felony convictions). Ability to type at least 30 words per minute and performs other clerical duties. Ability to effectively supervise the activities of prisoners, and establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, visitors, and the public.

Physical Requirement:
Moderate to arduous. Must be able to handle prisoners in a safe manner.

Communications

Dispatcher/ Service Officer Linda Williams

The communication division is one of the most invaluable support services within the police department. This division is accountable for sustaining the critical link between public officers in the field. Dispatchers handle several types of calls and situations daily, ranging from routine to emergency, critical incidents. Dispatchers provide a necessary and indispensable function to the public and to the officers in the field. Dispatchers work 12 hour shifts, and there are 2 dispatchers at any given time on duty. All dispatchers are part of the non-sworn workforce that provides vital support to the department and community it serves.

School Resource Officer

The School Resource Officer functions as the liaison between the Police Department and the local schools to educate and serve the students regarding crime and drug awareness. The School Resource Officer teaches D.A.R.E. at the intermediate school level and Student and the Law at the high school level. He/she also maintains peace and security at the schools.

Reserve Officer	Reserve Officer

The Reserve Officer is a sworn part-time volunteer police officer who performs a civic function assisting the full time officers in their assigned duties. The Reserve Officer serves the community and fills the void when additional officers are needed. The primary utilization of reserve officers is to supplement the regular patrol force.

Community Relations

Community Relations Officer, Laurie Slawson, with Officer McGruff

Definition:
The Community Relations Officer, working under the direction of the Support Division Commander, functions as the liaison between the Police Department and the local community to educate and serve the City's residents regarding crime awareness, crime prevention, emergency preparedness, and other related issues.

Duties:
The Community Relations Officer conducts meetings to educate organizations and citizens groups like Neighborhood Watch about crime prevention; works to heighten awareness of the community's responsibility to help in crime prevention; provides information, materials, and education to citizens and groups relating to police awareness, disaster preparedness, other issues; and does related work as needed.

Events

The Palos Verdes Estates Police Department join several police and sheriff departments participating in the torch run every year to show their support for the Southern California Special Olympics.

Job Opportunities

There are no openings at this time.