Councilman John Echevarria strives to forge tighter-knit community, develop volunteer initiatives in Colton

John Echevarria, Colton’s newest District 5 councilman, has hit the ground running to create a greater connection between constituents and the city.

Most recently, Echevarria has had the ability to leverage his experience as San Bernardino Police Sergeant to forge a tighter connection between law enforcement, the city and constituents.

“First off, I’d like to take a second to thank San Bernardino Police Chief Eric McBride and Assistant Police Chief David Green for mentoring me in the community policing philosophy and seeing what skills I brought to the table; for that, I will be forever grateful,” said Echevarria. “Although our department faced numerous challenges last year, I went to work every-day eager to help others.  I knew there was a greater need for community outreach and support, and I needed to be that liaison between our agency and the community.”

Although the volunteer program is in early development, he says having the ability to collaborate with Police Chief Dominguez will have many benefits for the community.

“Our partnership is beneficial to the community because it’s going to give them an opportunity to volunteer within our Police, Fire and Community Services departments, while also forging a stronger relationship between the city and those we serve,” Echevarria stated.

Future volunteers will find themselves augmenting staff with events, meetings and other functions held by the city, along with building their resume; and adding professional references to their list.

“I’m currently working hand in hand with Chief Dominguez to implement this volunteer program in the city, as it’s already become a success in San Bernardino,” said Echevarria. “This initiative will assist police, fire and our city employees more time to focus on critical issues directly related to their position.”

Specifically for the police department, this program will allow for more time to perform vacant patrol, traffic enforcement, vacation and neighborhood patrols, enhancing the community’s safety.

“Overall, I intend to develop a genuine relationship with our neighboring cities in order to garner more resources and funding to find resolutions to constituents’ inquiries. On the topic of constituents, I will also continue forging a tighter knit community amongst the entire city of Colton. I want my time in office to be devoted towards using our city’s bridges to bring all of us together, rather than separate us,” Echevarria said.

Echevarria encourages the constituents in the city to strengthen their engagement on city matters now and in the future.

“Colton is a very traditional town, but we need to welcome development in order to become vibrant and do our part in taking care of our heritage. I advise everyone in our city to use their voice and stay engaged. Learn who your city representatives are, follow the city’s social media accounts, and submit a public statement during our city council meetings,” concluded Echevarria.

A list for the upcoming volunteer program is currently available, email Echevarria at jechevarria@coltonca.gov to express your interest. For more information, visit ci.colton.ca.us.