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New commander no longer undercover

Lt. Ricardo Lopez, the new commander of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department Fallbrook substation, plans to be visible in the community. That wasn't the game plan the last time he worked Fallbrook.

"I was here but I wasn't visible, but I did get to see some things and gather some information," said Lopez, who, undercover, worked Fallbrook and the surrounding areas for many years as a member of North County Regional Gang Task Force.

Lopez, a 47-year-old native of San Diego, has 23 years of service in law enforcement – all with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. He began his new assignment in Fallbrook July 6, following a long stint with the Special Investigations Division.

"Twelve of the last 13 years I've worked in special investigations and it was primarily in gangs," said Lopez, who believes his prior experience working Fallbrook will help him in his new role as the man in charge of the Fallbrook substation.

"I think because of my experience with gangs and some of that information (obtained), I know maybe a little bit more about some of the criminal subculture that kind of exists in the area," said Lopez. "So I'd like to take advantage of that and maybe come up with some strategies on how to deal with things like that."

Lopez was asked about the current climate of gang activity in Fallbrook.

"Gangs here in Fallbrook, they've been around for a long time," said Lopez. "That's the case in all of North County. Every city has some sort of gang one way or another. The gangs here, by no means, are they out of control or of an explosive nature or anything like that. But they're here, and so they just need to be addressed and we'll use what we can to take care of the problem."

Lopez said Fallbrook, compared to other cities, ranks very high in terms of being a safe place to live.

"Fallbrook has always had that small town feel and it's a very safe town," said Lopez. "I know recently there's been some vehicle burglaries and vehicle thefts and some property crime and things like that, but for the most part Fallbrook is still a very safe community."

Property crime is a main concern in Fallbrook, acknowledged Lopez.

"No one likes to wake up in the morning and see their vehicle broken into or go outside and see that their vehicle is not there," said Lopez. "I think that makes people more upset more than anything. Their property is very valuable to them. So we will definitely do our best to take care of that situation and make sure that things don't get out of control."

Lopez believes communication between community and law enforcement is key in fighting crime.

"I'd like to get a lot of feedback from the community, what they see and what are the problems they're experiencing," said Lopez. "I want to make sure that things are reported and things are taken care of when they're supposed to be. To me, the little things matter. If you don't take care of the little things then they become big problems."

Lopez said the Fallbrook community has a reputation for being good partners with the Sheriff's Department.

"Because I've had some exposure here, I know there's a very good rapport between the community and the station," said Lopez. "I'd just like it to continue to be the same. They (residents) can expect a lot of communication from me. I think I'm very good at communicating with people."

Lopez, who speaks Spanish, replaces Lt. Mark Moreno, a big man with a big personality who served as the commander of the Fallbrook substation for about a year.

"I read the article where he (Moreno) said I was little more quiet (than him), and I think that probably 99 percent of the people would be more quiet than Mark," said Lopez with a laugh. "He's like a big, loveable guy who loves to laugh.

"I'm a little bit more quiet and I think a little bit more reserved," continued Lopez. "I've been doing this job for 23 years and just happy to be here every single day."

 

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