Students in the STAR Program get the benefit of interacting with a Deputy Sheriff in a friendly environment. STAR Deputies establish relationships with multiple generations of students, parents, teachers and community leaders. While it may be difficult to quantify the effect that STAR Deputies have with statistics, a school with a STAR Deputy is easy to spot. These communities have a genuine “small town” state of mind where parents, students, and teachers feel invested in their community’s law enforcement and welcome deputies into their neighborhood.

STAR Deputies speak to students in a classroom setting about:

· Setting goals regarding college, careers and maturing into successful adults,
· Getting involved in activities to stay busy and out of trouble,
· Developing good communication skills,
· The dangers and consequences of drug abuse, addiction & experimentation,
· Dealing with negative peer pressure and practicing positive peer pressure,
· Exercises in good decision making and being decisive,
· Safety Issues in the student’s local communities (i.e., Flood/Fire Safety for Malibu area students), and
· Current issues and trends at teachers or administrators request (i.e., bullying, internet safety, etc.).

STAR is a county wide unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department that operates out of STAR Center in Whittier. The STAR Unit consists of the Deputies that teach in schools, their supervisors and the office support staff.

STAR Unit

Supervisors

• Lieutenant Joe Nicassio

• Sergeant Vanessa Chow

• Sergeant Oscar Gallardo

Support Staff

• Deputy Millicent Scott

• Deputy Anne Trabbie

• Reserve Deputy and OAIII Connie Chandler

• Intermediate Typist Clerk Victoria Pacheco

• Law Enforcement Technician Caryn Leuschner

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STAR Deputies

Bellflower, El Monte, Lakewood, and Whittier

• Deputy Armando Alvarado

  La Puente and San Dimas

• Deputy Dolly Bryant

Agoura Hills, Santa Clarita and Westlake Village

• Deputy Jeff Donohoo

  Artesia, Basset, Belinda, Hacienda Heights, and La Puente,

• Deputy Henri Floris

La Canada/Flintridge, Malibu, Santa Clarita

• Deputy Jake Merrifield

  East Los Angeles

• Deputy Mark Macias

  Artesia, Hawaiian Gardens and Lakewood

• Deputy Cesar Romero

  Diamond Bar and Walnut

• Deputy Daniel Vargas

  Hacienda Heights and Rowland Heights

• Deputy Mark Yriarte

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If you would like information on getting a STAR Deputy at your school, please contact the STAR Unit office:

562-347-1203
STARunit@lasd.org

or fill out your contact info below, and we will get back to you.