Crime & Safety

Come Eat Pan Dulce with Sheriff's Captain from Century Station

Next week, the coffee and treats are on him.


With more than 20 years on the force, Century Station Captain Ernie Chavez
takes his morning coffee very seriously – and he likes with little sugar and with freshly made Pan Dulce (Sweet Mexican Bread) on the side. 

At the helm for about eight months now, Century Station Captain Chavez – who has dedicated the last 20 years of his career to the city of Lynwood – is hosting a Coffee & Pan Dulce with the Captain on Thursday, July 24, 2014 from 8 to 10 a.m. in the parking lot of Church’s Chicken. 5101E. Imperial Highway, in Lynwood.

In the last eight months, the saying “there aren’t enough hours in the day” has taken on a new meaning for Captain Chavez.

“There are never enough hours in the day for everything I want to do to or for everyone I want to talk to or for everyone who wants to talk to me. It’s so bad that the end of every single day I wonder where the day goes,” said Captain Chavez.

As lieutenant of the station for about six years prior to assuming his new post, Captain Chavez made getting to know the community and vice versa, his priority. “I can’t stress that enough to all of our deputies. I’ve always felt it important that deputies know the community, know their needs, and for the community to know get to know them too. When you have that, you establish trust.”

For the Coffee & Pan Dulce with the Captain event, several canopies, tables and chairs will be set up in the Church’s Chicken parking lot, while Tijuana Bakery of Lynwood will graciously sponsor the free pan dulce and coffee for attendees. Captain Chavez has an open-door policy for the Lynwood community, but this Coffee & Pan Dulce with the Captain will give the community another outlet where they can approach him with any concerns they may have. 

“Community engagement is very important to me and to the Century Station,” he said. “With so many formal meetings going on all of the time, we want to make sure we reach out to those who can’t make it to some of these formal meetings with something more casual and where their concerns about crime in this community can be addressed on a more personal level.”

This will be Captain Chavez’ first Coffee with the Captain. Everybody has Coffees with their Captains, said Captain Chavez, “but I like mine with Pan Dulce.”

“I want people to know that we are out here to serve them, to hear their concerns, but we also want to remind them that they are our eyes and ears too,” he said. “If something is bothering them, then it’s going to bother us too. Maybe people can’t come to us all of the time, but through these Coffees with the Captains, we’re coming out to them.

The community is invited to receive a free cup of coffee and a pan dulce and meet Captain Chavez and his deputies and discuss community issues. Attendees will hear about crime statistics, learn about crime prevention, how to start a Neighborhood Watch Program and get to know Captain Chavez and his deputies.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from South Gate-Lynwood