Lancaster Welcomes Rodrick Armalin as New Public Safety Director

Lancaster, CA. June 29, 2022 - The City of Lancaster is pleased to welcome Rodrick Armalin as its new Public Safety Director. In this role, Armalin will be heading up the Public Safety Department's team of Rangers, Code Enforcement Officers, and its newest Hybrid Policing effort.

Armalin comes to the City of Lancaster as a 34-year law enforcement veteran having most recently served as the Chief of Police for the City of Sierra Madre. He started his career with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), where he spent 32 years before retiring from the department at the rank of Captain.

"As we welcome Rodrick to Lancaster, I'm excited for this opportunity to strengthen Public Safety and to see where his leadership will take the Public Safety Department," said Mayor R. Rex Parris. "I look forward to seeing Rodrick implement the City's vision for a hybrid policing model, where the Department will take on more of the community's day-to-day concerns to free up our contracted Sheriff Deputies for the higher-priority affairs where we most need their help."

As Public Safety Director, Rodrick Armalin will work in partnership with LASD to implement the City's new hybrid law enforcement model. Through this innovative hybrid model, Lancaster's Public Safety Department will address chronic and repetitive issues that are currently drawing on LASD's resources, it will also build community capacities, and address the perceptions of public safety and various non-emergency quality of life issues. The disbursement of public safety work will allow the LASD to focus on emergent crime-related matters that need immediate law enforcement attention.

"City Staff has built a phenomenal sense of community at City Hall; they work tirelessly to make Lancaster the best it can be for our residents," said City Manager Jason Caudle. "This new addition to our staff will further improve our efforts from a public safety perspective. I am excited to welcome Rodrick to our leadership team and cannot wait to work alongside him and support the City Council's goals together."

With vast experience in community-oriented policing, emergency management, and homeless policing services, Armalin is well-positioned to hit the ground running. Throughout his career, he has developed partnerships with community members, businesses, and other organizations to promote trusting, safe environments. He has been intimately involved with best practices applicable to law enforcement in LA County, including strategies to address and improve the quality of life for individuals experiencing homelessness and mental health concerns. Through a partnership with the Department of Mental Health, Armalin helped implement the first higher education mental health assessment team in the nation.

"I am excited to be here to serve as Lancaster's Public Safety Director," Armalin said. "As someone born and raised in LA County, I've been familiar with Lancaster for decades and I believe my experiences have prepared me to lead the Lancaster Public Safety Department as we serve the needs of our great community."

The City of Lancaster continues to take a hard stance on crime and wants to address all levels of crime as well as improve overall public safety and tackle community challenges. This model of hybrid policing will supplement the work already being done by the LASD by providing robust policing services at all levels. This strategic and coordinated effort to address crime and enhance life in Lancaster is also expected to increase overall safety and responsiveness.

Lancaster's new hybrid public safety model, blending support from the reconfigured Lancaster Public Safety Department with Lancaster's existing contract with the LA Sheriff's Department, is a result of more than 1.5 years of research and development by City of Lancaster staff and the consulting firm Hillard Heintze.

Stay tuned to the City's website and social media for further developments as Director Armalin and the City's Public Safety Department work to implement the new hybrid policing model for our community.

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