Captain Justin Diez took some time to sit down with the KHTS News team Thursday morning after being selected as the new captain for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station in early March following the promotion of now-Commander Robert Lewis.

A veteran of around 18 years, Diez began his career with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in 2002 as a deputy at the North County Correctional Facility. Since then, he has been stationed at Transit Services, the Community Partnership Bureau, Operation Safe Streets Bureau, Lancaster Station, Internal Affairs Bureau and the Malibu/Lost Hills Station before his assignment in Santa Clarita.

Diez has a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Cal State Northridge and a Masters of Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio.

A Santa Clarita Valley resident of around 16 years, Diez enjoys spending time with his wife and children in the community that he helps protect.

“That’s something that’s actually unique at this station. There’s quite a few Sheriff stations around the county, and the one unique thing we have is that almost everybody that works here lives out here and that’s certainly not the case of other stations,” Diez said. “We’re so fortunate here because it doesn’t even matter if it’s our professional staff (or) our sworn staff, the overwhelming majority we’ve got live here and that’s very unique because when you live and work in the same place —  at least in law enforcement — there’s that little extra spark, the employees give it a little bit extra because you’re working in your own community.”

Of the approximately 240 staff members at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, all are currently working to help protect and serve the community, as thankfully none of the staff have been infected or tested positive for COVID-19 as of May 21.

“That’s a great thing, especially given our job because we’re so hands-on, not only hands-on by nature in our work, but we’re a small station in close quarters. Unfortunately we can’t work from home,” Diez said. “I think a part of it is certainly our practices of social distancing as much as possible, PPE, and maybe, certainly some luck.” 

Only a couple of weeks into his new position, the “Safer at Home” orders were implemented throughout the state of California, drastically shifting any plans for the new captain to establish himself in the eyes of the community.

“That certainly threw me for a curveball as far as community stuff,” Diez said.

The new captain described the situation for local law enforcement as “business as usual with some caveats,” now that the initial scramble to obtain Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and keep patrol cars and other high-traffic areas safe and clean for personnel and the public has passed.

“Through the whole history, the station’s always had a lot of community support, but gosh, during coronavirus it went tenfold,” Diez said.

The community support has been instrumental in keeping spirits up in recent weeks, with the outpouring of letters, commendations, meals, and even short personal visits to the front lobby of the sheriff’s station to check in on deputies.

“It is difficult to have 240 people come to work. We’re 24/7 with no vacations. To have them come to work, ask them to be proactive, ask them to work well with the community, to fight crime… that is a lot to ask during these times,” Diez said. “Especially when people have significant others at home that are maybe unemployed or maybe watching the kids, doing homeschool. So, it gets very complicated.”

While a routine may have settled in for many law enforcement officers operating under the “new normal,” the stay-at-home orders implemented by state and Los Angeles County officials have impacted not only the deputies that patrol Santa Clarita streets, but the criminals that search them for potential targets

Diez mentioned that although the relative percentage rate of theft has gone up, the overall crime rate has dropped significantly in the Santa Clarita Valley since the implementation of the “Safer at Home” Order on March 19.

In order to avoid being victimized, Dez encouraged residents to take part in the the “#9PMRoutine,” a simple process that calls for residents to help protect themselves and their neighborhoods from petty crime by removing any valuables from vehicles, locking vehicle doors and trunks, checking exterior door locks and turning on exterior lights.

See Related: Comedy Central’s ‘Reno 911!’ Cast Reminds Santa Clarita Residents Of ‘The 9 P.M. Routine’

For anyone who might want to offer support, residents are more than welcome to offer thanks to the people who help make their community a safer place.

“The men and women who are working hard, our deputies, our sergeants, our lieutenants, our professional staff, if you see them out in the streets, thank them,” Diez said. “When I’m asleep at night, or you’re asleep at night, we’ve got a whole group of men and women out there working all night.”

Diez encouraged residents to stay up-to-date on local law enforcement operations by following the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for tips and information on staying safe.

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