Farmersville swears in Jay Brock as chief of police at their last city council meeting on Feb. 27
FARMERSVILLE – Jay Brock has held almost every title in law enforcement, from patrol officer, K-9 handler, lieutenant and much more. But, he didn’t stop there. This week, he earned the title of police chief.
Brock has been in law enforcement for 35 years. During his time, he has worked for police departments in Woodlake, Porterville, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and Farmersville. When he began working for Farmersville in the early 2000’s, he continued to move up the ranks to eventually lieutenant. On Feb. 27, however, Brock’s dedication to law enforcement came to light, as he was officially sworn in as Farmersville’s chief of police.
“My highest priority moving forward is to maintain a strong partnership with the community and ensure the highest commitment to service, safety and protection,” Brock said. “I am looking forward to the challenges that this new role brings and will work hard to move this professional organization forward into the future.”
Born in Covina, Calif., Brock moved to Visalia in 1976, where he later graduated from Golden West High School in the mid 80’s. Brock jumped into the police academy as soon as he graduated, and became an officer in the city of Woodlake shortly after. During his years as an officer, he decided to pursue higher education. In 2018, he received his masters degree in criminal justice from the California Post Command College.
“My past law enforcement experience, education and training have all prepared me for this new role,” Brock said. “I wanted to apply for this position because I believe that Farmersville is a great community and I enjoy working alongside the extraordinary men and women of this department.”
Brock spent his career working throughout Tulare County in many different capacities. He not only worked in multiple officer ranks within the department, but also as a SWAT operator, field training officer, detective and commander. City manager Jennifer Gomez said that Brock has made headlines not only for his career, but also his expertise in K-9 handling.
“I want the community to know that my goal each day is to provide great service and allow residents to live and work in a safe and secure community,” Brock said.
His wife, Yolanda, children and parents attended the city council meeting to witness his swearing in ceremony. Also joining him were Farmersville officers, Lindsay’s police chief Rick Carillo, Porterville police chief Jake Castellow and board supervisor Larry Micari.
Brock will be stepping in to fill the role after former police chief Mario Krystic announced his retirement at the dawn of the new year, capping a 37-year-career in law enforcement and 26 years with the Farmersville Police Department. Krstic retired as the longest active police chief in Tulare County and the state, falling a few months shy of 24 years as the top cop in Farmersville. Brock will now fill his role, but not without experience. Not only has Brock been in law enforcement for 35 years, but has maintained his career in Farmersville for nearly 15 years.
