He's official: Milligan 'pinned' as new police chief

A pinning ceremony was held on Friday to celebrate the appointment of interim Shafter Chief of Police Randy Milligan as the new chief of police. The event honored a decorated peace officer who, over his 23 years in Shafter, has held nearly every position within the department, including traffic officer, field training officer, K-9 officer, senior patrol officer, sergeant, range master, lieutenant, captain, acting chief and now chief. With 26 years in law enforcement, his dedication and service to the community were recognized.

"I'm very excited to move forward with the chief of police position," Milligan said. "I have worked under some excellent leadership over the years, which has prepared me for this role. I look forward to staff development and getting our new police substation in the south area of Shafter up and running." He also aims to get the department fully staffed and implement new training and equipment for officers. "We recently implemented a drone program, started an e-bike unit for patrolling, and the City Council just authorized body-worn cameras. I hope to continue this trajectory through staff development, preparing them for the next phase – the new police station – so we can offer better service to our southern area residents."

Of the pinning ceremony, he said, "I thought it was very overwhelming to see the support from all the law enforcement representatives and the friends and family I have acquired over the years of my law enforcement career. All the special remarks and speeches from our city council were highlights. It's very rewarding to work for the city of Shafter as the police department has a lot of support from the city council and the citizens of Shafter."

Lt. Marvin Gomez, who has known Chief Milligan for about 25 years, shared that he was proud of him for being named chief of police of a city he adopted as part of his second family.

"Chief Milligan was named acting chief in November of 2023. Since then, he kept the department's morale high even though staffing had become an issue during that time. Due to the chief's officer recruitment program, the department saw a surge in officers applying, either from other agencies or as police cadets. Chief has been open to new ideas from his lieutenants and line staff, but always keeps the safety and security of the citizens of Shafter and his police officers at the forefront of his mind."

Mayor Chad Givens spoke highly of the new chief. "I am exceptionally excited to have Randy as our new police chief. His work ethic and focus on officer engagement are second to none. He has continued to believe in the strong family, strong community mantra, and I believe he will continue to engage positively within our community and pursue excellence at every opportunity."

Chief Milligan worked under Wasco Chief of Police Charles Fivecoat when Fivecoat served as police chief in Shafter. "He worked for me from 2006 to 2013 as our K-9 handler," Fivecoat said. "I've known him for a long time. He has an excellent understanding of the policing needs in Shafter, and he is very much aware of and knows the community. I think it's crucial for a chief in a smaller community like Shafter to be there for the people, and I believe he understands that through his tenure in Shafter."

He added, "I always knew him to be honest and do his job thoroughly. He is genuinely interested in moving the Police Department forward, and I think he will do a good job at that."

Lieutenant Josh Stephens acted as the master of ceremonies at the pinning event. He has known Chief Milligan for the last 15 years and said it's been a great experience working with him. He stated, "It will be challenging and exciting, and a new chapter for the Police Department. I congratulate him on the appointment. I wish him all the best in his new position."