By Mary O’KEEFE

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. Captain Christopher Blasnek has been announced as the new captain of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station.

Capt. Bill Song has been promoted to commander and will be transferring to the Technology and Support Division after serving as CV Sheriff’s captain for four years. Song was raised in Crescenta Valley.

“It has been an absolute pleasure and joy to have come back home and serve the community of Crescenta Valley. I’ve met some great people and community leaders who care about their community and are actively involved. It was so refreshing,” he said.

He added his departure is bittersweet.

Blasnek only had praise for his predecessor.

“The outgoing captain has done an outstanding job,” he said.

Blasnek said he does not plan on making many changes.

“[Song] has had a good station and good solid handle on [crime],” he said.

Instead he will take his time to get to know those who are serving at the station.

“One of my jobs is to get to know everyone at the station and find their strengths, have those people share them,” he said.

Blasnek has been with LASD for 33 years and is currently the operations lieutenant/unit commander at Reserve Forces Bureau. This meant he worked with the department’s Reserve Deputy, Explorer and Posse programs at the Monterey Park LASD office. Prior to that he was assigned to the East Patrol Division working as the operations lieutenant of Walnut/Diamond Bar Station. There he was second in command of areas including Diamond Bar, Walnut, Rowland Heights and Covina Hills.

He has not been stationed at CV before; however, he is familiar with the area as a member of the San Gabriel Valley Peace Officers Association, where he served as president in 2015. The San Gabriel Valley Peace Officers Association is a charity organization designed to network with other agencies throughout the San Gabriel area.

“[CV] kind of feels like home,” Blasnek said.

Through the Association he knows the police chiefs from local areas including Glendale Community College, Glendale and Pasadena.

His past responsibilities also seem to be fitting for the CV and La Cañada areas as the CV Station has a strong volunteer force and support group.

He knows the reputation of Montrose Search and Rescue, which is a volunteer group whose team members get paid one dollar a year for their 24/7 service.

“I don’t think people realize how much [MSR] gives back to the community,” he said.

Blasnek values volunteers and their dedication to the station. He has a saying about volunteers: “Volunteers vote every day on the type of community they want to live in.”

He organized and led the 850 reserve deputies and said he is proud of what was accomplished.

“I feel I am leaving [that] department better than I found it,” he said.

Blasnek is looking forward to starting his shift at the CV Station. His philosophy is simple: “When you work in the community you [always] keep your officers’ safety in mind, and treat everybody as you would want your own family to be treated.”

Blasnek begins his first shift as captain of the CV Sheriff’s Station on April 2.

  Mary Okeefe