By Michael Armijo Walnut – Captain Jeff Scroggin is the new Walnut Diamond Bar Sheriff Station Captain and has assumed command after former Captain Dave Halm was promoted to Commander earlier this month. Captain Scroggin is a 28 and a half year veteran of the LA County Sheriff’s Department and has spent 20 years of them on patrol, prior to his promotion to Captain this month. He has risen up in the ranks from deputy in Carson, Lieutenant in Norwalk and Lakewood, and Sergeant in Industry. He also grew up in the San Gabriel Valley. “I’m looking forward to working with the communities of Walnut, Diamond Bar, and Rowland Heights,” said Captain Scroggin. “It’s very challenging and diverse, but I’m looking forward to helping keep this community safe.” Captain Scroggin received his Masters Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati, and achieved his Bachelors Degree locally, from Cal Poly Pomona, where he majored in Business Management. “Our main focus will be to reach out and try to get more volunteers,” said Captain Scroggin. “We need to continue great partnerships and enhance patrols. Utilizing our station volunteers to do “vacation checks” on our residential properties can greatly decrease burglaries and free up Deputy time to patrol high traffic areas.” The Captain has encouraged those who are interested in serving our community to call the station at (909) 595-2264 and ask about becoming a volunteer. His team plan includes working closely with the community to ensure its safety and focus on crime prevention issues. “Our biggest problems in our area has been theft and burglaries,” Captain Scroggin said. “We encourage everyone to report suspicious people and get a hold of us as quickly as possible. Lets deter individuals from even THINKING of coming into our community and committing crime.” The Captain also noted that “bedroom communities such as ours are targeted for what criminals perceive to be in our homes. So if you see someone suspicious, act quickly.” “Public safety is our number one concern,” Captain Scroggin added. “We can mold our mission with public trust to continue to keep this a safe and great place to live.” According to the City of Walnut, the Walnut Sheriff’s Station serves the cities of Walnut, Diamond Bar, and unincorporated areas of Rowland Heights and Covina. The Sheriff’s personnel provide a number of programs and services to keep Walnut a safe community. Programs serving Walnut include Bike Patrol, Volunteers on Patrol, Neighborhood Watch, and Substance Abuse Narcotics Education and many others.