Councilman to Drop "Cop" From His Title
Santa Barbara Newsroom
By Tom Schultz
May 10, 2007
A Goleta city councilman retires this week from the Santa Barbara Police Department, capping a 32-year career in law enforcement.
Officer Roger Aceves, 52, got his first job with the department in 1975 working dispatch. In 1977, he became a Santa Barbara County Sheriff's deputy — returning to the Police Department as an officer in 1981.
"I've had my share of fun," Aceves said Wednesday. "It's a little bit overwhelming because this is what I've known for 32 years."
He's been shot at, and he had six major surgeries following work-related injuries. These included nearly losing his left thumb in a fight at the Faulding Hotel, a low-cost residence hotel that has since been renamed.
Aceves will serve his last day on the job Friday, and is scheduled to turn in his gear this coming Monday.
Aceves is a freshman member of the Goleta council, having taken the oath of office in December with a new majority that won in November. During last year's hard-fought council contest, he pledged to make public safety a priority, along with proposed changes to key planning policies guiding the city.
The cop-turned-politician barely won his seat, finishing third in a race for three open seats. He beat the fourth place finisher, incumbent Cynthia Brock, by 55 votes.
Policing and politics have kept Aceves busy since he joined the council. He said he's been working seven days a week lately.
Recently, he has participated in ongoing talks between Goleta and the Sheriff's Department over renewal of a multi-year contract between the two. Goleta contracts with the department for police services, and that agreement is up for renewal at the end of this fiscal year.
Retirment will "keep me more focused just on the city of Goleta," Aceves said, adding he will no longer need to worry about being on call in case of an emergency.
"I've been involved in so many big cases that they will always be a part of my life," he said,
One of his biggest cases was a prolonged 1995 hostage standoff downtown on Bath Street.
A man fired at Aceves with a rifle, missing him by about a foot, he said.
The entire incident lasted 21 hours, with Aceves successfully negotiating the release of the assailant's son.
For his efforts, Aceves won the H. Thomas Guerry Award presented each year locally for valor and superior performance. A Santa Barbara Police officer, Guerry died in the line of duty at the age of 29 in 1970 in an exchange of gunfire after locating two armed robbery suspects near State and Ortega Streets.
For a time, Aceves was a major crimes detective -- investigating robberies and murders. He also served as a training officer and on an anti-DUI team.
But he never rode a motorcycle, he said. "That, I refused."
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Congratulations Roger! - Goleta Observer
Officer Roger Aceves, 52, got his first job with the department in 1975 working dispatch. In 1977, he became a Santa Barbara County Sheriff's deputy — returning to the Police Department as an officer in 1981.
"I've had my share of fun," Aceves said Wednesday. "It's a little bit overwhelming because this is what I've known for 32 years."
He's been shot at, and he had six major surgeries following work-related injuries. These included nearly losing his left thumb in a fight at the Faulding Hotel, a low-cost residence hotel that has since been renamed.
Aceves will serve his last day on the job Friday, and is scheduled to turn in his gear this coming Monday.
Aceves is a freshman member of the Goleta council, having taken the oath of office in December with a new majority that won in November. During last year's hard-fought council contest, he pledged to make public safety a priority, along with proposed changes to key planning policies guiding the city.
The cop-turned-politician barely won his seat, finishing third in a race for three open seats. He beat the fourth place finisher, incumbent Cynthia Brock, by 55 votes.
Policing and politics have kept Aceves busy since he joined the council. He said he's been working seven days a week lately.
Recently, he has participated in ongoing talks between Goleta and the Sheriff's Department over renewal of a multi-year contract between the two. Goleta contracts with the department for police services, and that agreement is up for renewal at the end of this fiscal year.
Retirment will "keep me more focused just on the city of Goleta," Aceves said, adding he will no longer need to worry about being on call in case of an emergency.
"I've been involved in so many big cases that they will always be a part of my life," he said,
One of his biggest cases was a prolonged 1995 hostage standoff downtown on Bath Street.
A man fired at Aceves with a rifle, missing him by about a foot, he said.
The entire incident lasted 21 hours, with Aceves successfully negotiating the release of the assailant's son.
For his efforts, Aceves won the H. Thomas Guerry Award presented each year locally for valor and superior performance. A Santa Barbara Police officer, Guerry died in the line of duty at the age of 29 in 1970 in an exchange of gunfire after locating two armed robbery suspects near State and Ortega Streets.
For a time, Aceves was a major crimes detective -- investigating robberies and murders. He also served as a training officer and on an anti-DUI team.
But he never rode a motorcycle, he said. "That, I refused."
Donate to the Santa Barbara Newsroom to help cover operating expenses and help make ends meet.
Congratulations Roger! - Goleta Observer
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