Sheriff’s Department Names New Captain

Rod Mendoza, a former crime-prevention and field-training officer for the Camarillo station of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, has returned as the department’s new captain.

Mendoza, 41, replaces Mike Regan as the second-highest ranking deputy at the station. Regan has been transferred to the major crimes unit in Ventura.

“I’m ecstatic to be here,” Mendoza said. “This department has always been service oriented. I want to expand that further. If somebody’s got a problem, we want to own that problem.”

Mendoza, worked for the Camarillo station from 1987 until 1990 and was most recently patrol operations manager for the department.

Craig Husband, commander of the Camarillo station, praised Mendoza’s philosophy on community-oriented service.

“He’s highly thought of and brings a lot of experience to the position,” Husband said. “He has a broad base of knowledge and I’m very pleased with his enthusiasm and energy.”

The Camarillo station captain is mainly responsible for day-to-day operations and administrative duties, including managing the budget and developing new programs. Mendoza said he will work to increase the visibility of deputies in town.

With services contracted to the city from the Sheriff’s Department, Mendoza also said one of his primary goals is making sure that law enforcement service remains cost-effective for the community. He added that the number of deputies in the Camarillo station is down in proportion to the expanding population in town.

“We’re looking at ways to try to boost that number,” Mendoza said.