New sheriff in command




POLISHED—Lt. Becerra is the new Lost Hills commander. Courtesy photo

POLISHED—Lt. Becerra is the new acting captain of Lost Hills. Courtesy photo

The last time sheriff’s Lt. Salvador “Chuck” Becerra worked at the Lost Hills station he was a deputy taking orders.

Now he’s giving them.

Becerra, 50, is the station’s new commanding officer. A veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Becerra considers Lost Hills a homecoming—20 years ago he spent two years there as a deputy. His most recent assignment was with the sheriff’s station in Santa Clarita.

“It (doesn’t feel) like I’m an outsider. I’ve come back through the area to work emergencies, but to be assigned here is just great,” Becerra said. “It’s the same locker room, it has the same gym, the station has a great feel. I was very successful as a deputy then, so I left on good terms, and it feels good to come home.”

He said a few of the same station personnel are still there from his first time around.

Becerra’s family has a legacy in the department. His mother retired as a captain on the force, and he said she doesn’t let him forget it.

“The sheriff’s department has been dinner conversation my entire life,” Becerra said.

A self-described hard-charger, Becerra has held multiple posts in his 29 years with the department. For most of his career he was a training officer, teaching less experienced deputies new techniques and safety procedures.

“I’ve always tried to work harder than the average person, and because of that my mentors have utilized my skill set. They say, ‘Hey, come here, start up a new unit,’” Becerra said. “They’ll send me to units that are challenging or facing challenges, and help me stabilize it.”

Though this is his first time as the head of a station, Becerra has been an administrator for a few years. He said being a patrol deputy was fun but it’s a “younger man’s game.” His focus is making sure that deputies have the right training and support.

His responsibility is to make sure the people under him are getting enough hours but aren’t overworked, and to ensure they have working patrol cars and radios.

“I’ll use the metaphor, because my mom would always say when she was a deputy they didn’t have handheld radios on their belts,” Becerra said. “I tell her that she was a phone, and then when I was on patrol 15 or 20 years later I was a cellphone. The deputies today are smartphones.”

As the new boss at Lost Hills, Becerra said, the position is teaching him a lot he didn’t know, but he’s enjoying it. He might not be there permanently— he’s filling in for Capt. Josh Thai, who has been on medical leave since November.

Before Becerra was assigned to Lost Hills, the station was being overseen by Lt. Jennifer Seetoo, a 20-year veteran of the sheriff’s department who will stay on at the station to support Becerra.

“(Thai) has every intention of coming back. Right now I’m in the position of acting captain,” Becerra said. “It may become official, but if (Thai) comes back, I’ll stay in this seat and he’ll assume the role of captain.”

It’s unclear when Thai would be able to return to work, but Becerra said he’s not letting the uncertainty hold him back. He plans to run the station as though it’s his permanent post.

“I dig into every assignment I’ve ever had. Sometimes it’s only three weeks or three months, but I dig in as if I’m going to be here forever,” Becerra said. “I think that’s the best way at any unit. They get full buy-in from me. If I stay, great. If I move, that’s fine too.”

He’s hoping to stay for at least a little while. Becerra lives in the Conejo Valley and said the drive to the Lost Hills station has been his shortest commute since the last time he was assigned there, which means he can spend more time with his wife and two kids.

He said he never expected to end up where he is, but he’s grateful for the opportunity to lead.

“(The sheriff’s department) isn’t a job, it’s a calling. I was meant to do exactly what I’m doing, and thank God I’ve been blessed with a good career. My knees still work, my back doesn’t hurt,” Becerra said. “The department has treated me well, treated my family well. I really have no complaints.”