VPD Crime Analysis Unit – Crunching Numbers, Reducing Crime
When there is a series of home invasions in the Visalia area, how does the police department know where to search for suspects?
When the police discover a possible drug ring, how do they find out who is involved, and where these suspects are hiding? If a murder occurs in Visalia, where can the police turn for leads? The answer is the Visalia Police Department’s Crime Analysis Unit. read more...
Rockabilly Attitude Local Firefighter Gets His Rhythm in Motel Drive
“You’ll find me underneath that great big sky, or maybe somewhere on the stage tonight, I’m just a vagabond passing through, you’ll find me at your local saloon and hear my drifter blues.”
The man crooning this tune in a dimly lit bar may look familiar. Life as a heroic firefighter serves J.D. Goodwin’s need for stability during the day, but at night Goodwin transforms into the gritty leader of a little band called Motel Drive, a fitting name for a group firmly rooted in the soil of the Central Valley. read more...
Every 15 Minutes Local Students Get a Sobering Look at the Impact of Drunk Driving
n November, members of the Visalia Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Office of Traffic and Safety, American Ambulance of Visalia and other local businesses got together with Central Valley Christian High School (CVC) and put together a sobering experience known as, Every 15 Minutes.
Every 15 minutes a person dies in a drunk driving collision in the United States. read more...
Police Rodeo—Fast and Furious in Visalia
No bulls, no ropes, no cowboy hats. Just a bunch of guys and gals on hogs—as in Harley-Davidson motorcycles -not to mention BMWs and Kawasakis.
The Third Annual Central California Motorcycle Police Skills Competition, or “Rodeo,” as these events are usually called, was hosted by the Visalia P.D., at Plaza Park Holiday Inn. The competition drew twenty-six officers from departments as far away as Ventura.
It’s timed, it’s tense, and it’s a tribute to the training and skill motorcycle police officers use every day to keep our streets safe—the same skills that save their lives in a high-risk, traffic-packed environment. read more
