With the close of 2025, police chiefs across Merced County are focusing on technology upgrades and filling staff vacancies in the New Year.

There are six police departments in Merced County who serve more than 296,000 residents, not including UC Merced and Merced College police departments. The Merced County Sheriff’s Office serves smaller, unincorporated communities. Each agency faces their own unique successes, challenges and goals for the new year.

The Merced FOCUS sat down with Merced County’s police chiefs to learn how departments are preparing for 2026.

Merced Police Celebrate Crime Reduction

Traffic safety was a high priority for Merced Police Chief Steven Stanfield since he was sworn in two years ago – and this year proved no different.

High staff numbers helped the department reduce violent crimes and traffic accidents, he said. Technology, including the city’s use of red-light cameras and park cameras, helped track incidents in Merced.

Availability of funding has posed challenges for the department, Stanfield said. Technology upgrades, such as a new X-ray machine, cost more than they did before the latest government shutdown. The city also needs a new radio infrastructure system, which will cost millions of dollars, Stanfield said.

He wants to expand existing operations and improve training and hiring processes in place. Stanfield also hopes to expand the Real Time Crime Information Center and install more city cameras and red-light cameras.

Merced Police Department has 98 sworn officers and 45 non-sworn personnel, plus part-time staff. There are six officer vacancies, since two officers retired at the end of the year.

Atwater to Add Gang Prevention Team

In his first year as chief, Richard McEachin is proud of the department’s response to crimes, such as hit-and-run accidents.

Traffic concerns were paramount this year — with one collision occurring approximately each day, McEachin estimated. The department added a traffic position this year to dedicate more resources to traffic enforcement. A patrol officer previously responded to traffic calls, but also had to respond to other calls they received.

“With the traffic officer being able to take a little more time to make phone calls and follow up on things, he’s able to find leads and identify cars that we otherwise weren’t able to identify,” McEachin said. “He’s been able to solve a lot of hit-and-run accidents that before, no one had time to really look into.”

The agency is developing a Street Team, which will be a two-officer team that responds to gang activity. These officers will work with the detective sergeant and assist with homeless response when there’s no gang activity to respond to, McEachin said. Atwater Police Department will use two patrol officers to work on this team and backfill patrol with two officers who are finishing training.

Before he was sworn in as chief in December 2024, McEachin led the Dos Palos Police Department for five years, and the Clayton Police Department, in the East Bay, for two years.

Atwater Police Department has 25 sworn officers, with one vacancy, and 14 non-sworn personnel. Two additional community service (non-sworn) officers are finishing their background checks and should start by February.

Dos Palos Police Eye Technology Upgrades, Community Outreach

Dos Palos police officers mostly responded to calls about property crime last year, including burglaries and thefts, according to Dos Palos Police Chief Dayton Snyder.

The department upgraded body-worn cameras to the industry standard Axon cameras, Snyder said. This upgrade has made it easier for police to transfer evidence. Older cameras required officers to download the footage onto a flash drive.

Snyder hopes to add license plate reader cameras, or Flock cameras, to the department’s resources in the new year. He’s waiting on grant funding that would provide new body armor and ballistic helmets.

Dos Palos Police Department has 10 sworn officers and six non-sworn personnel. One sworn position is vacant. Snyder has been the police chief since June 2025, but has been in law enforcement for 22 years in both Merced and Atwater’s police departments.

Gustine Police Look to Increase License Plate Cameras, Improve Radio System

Upgrades at Gustine Police Department last year included two new police vehicles, Axon body cameras and new tasers, Chief Ruben Chavez said.

But the department faces outstanding upgrades, including its radio tower system, which struggles with dead spots in the city, meaning officers can’t be heard through the radio at times.

“That creates a situation where it’s dangerous, and so we need to make sure we get that taken care of as soon as we can,” Chavez said.

Gustine Police Department is one of the smallest in the county, with nine sworn officers, seven part-time officers and three non-sworn personnel.

The department has one patrol officer vacancy that Chavez hopes to fill by February. With few calls to respond to, the department contracts with Livingston Police Department for dispatch.

Chavez has been the police chief for more than five years, and in law enforcement for 44 years with previous stops in San Jose and Livingston.

Livingston Police Champion Tech Upgrades to Help Solve Crimes

Technology upgrades have helped officers working for the Livingston Police Department respond to crimes in the community, interim Chief John Ramirez said. The department installed 14 license plate reader cameras, added three patrol vehicles and upgraded guns in use.

The license plate reader cameras helped the department recover stolen vehicles, Ramirez said.

Livingston Police Department employs 20 full-time, sworn officers and 38 non-sworn staff, including dispatchers and a records supervisor. The agency’s officers respond to calls from Livingston and assist other departments, such as Gustine and Atwater. As of December, the department had three officer vacancies and one chief vacancy. Ramirez hopes to increase department staffing in the new year so there’s no vacancies.

Ramirez has served as interim chief for six months – his second stint in this role. He’s been at the department for 27 years.

Los Banos Police Stress Community Engagement, Crime Reductions

Leadership vacancies posed a lot of uncertainty this year for the Los Banos Police Department as the city manager and public works director left. A city manager vacancy makes it difficult to approve a new budget or staffing changes, Police Chief Ray Reyna said. The positions have since been filled.

A grant to the code enforcement team helped the department reduce the number of animal intakes at the shelter. The department held spay/neuter events, microchip, and vaccinations events with rescue groups.

Reyna is looking forward to more community outreach events and using social media to meet people where they are.

“We can be silly, too, and we want to engage with you,” Reyna said.

Reyna has been the Los Banos Police Chief for two years and at the department for more than 20 years.

Los Banos Police Department has 42 sworn officers, and an additional seven who are in training, with plans to join the force. There are also two non-sworn staff, and four sworn officer vacancies.

About the Reporter

Elizabeth Wilson is the public safety reporter for The Merced FOCUS.