Chief Julian Longoria

05/09/2026

Twin Palms RV Park hosted Rio Hondo Volunteer Firefighters and Police for a wonderful breakfast.

Meaningful engagement with community members promotes a stronger Rio Hondo.

05/07/2026

The recent Boise hospital shooting case is a difficult reminder of how quickly confusion can turn into tragedy.

Responding officers believed they were confronting an active shooter. In the chaos, a correctional officer was mistaken for the suspect and seriously injured. The lawsuit that followed now centers on communication failures, assumptions, and the consequences of split‑second decisions.

04/25/2026

I will not relent in the face of adversity or pressure.

It was not by accident that I have been placed where I am. Speaking life to the youth of the community. Holding them accountable for their actions, showing grace and understanding when appropriate. Offering guidance and direction.

When I see some of our youth, I see myself. It's no secret that I was no angel, I gave my mother greif as a teenager. With no father figure around, my mother struggled to raise us in a troubled neighborhood.

Statistics say I don't belong where I am. As a matter of fact, the first day of my police academy I was told that a person like me did not belong there and would never be a cop.

Today, I speak life into our youth, tell them that anything is possible for them as it was possible for me. Show them that there is more to life than what their environment offers. It took a few special people to show me something different from the only environment knew. It took the hand of God to change my perspective, to give me a new mind.

I am here now and it is obvious that the enemy wants me to stop and wants me gone. He should know better by now, the greater the storm, the more I anchor down in Christ.

04/22/2026

Nine months ago, when I accepted this position, the situation was simple to describe and hard to live through: we were running on empty.

When I walked in the door, the city had four active firefighters and two police officers left. All the others jumped ship before I arrived.

One of the remaining officers was well into the hiring process with another agency. That meant that we had four firemen, one officer, and me.

And with that, we secured this city 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Those first months were long days, short nights, and nonstop calls. Fires, medical calls, disturbances - whatever came in, we handled it as best as we could.

But we didn’t stay there.

Over the past nine months:

- We rebuilt the police department to a full staff of seven officers, including the chief.

- We rebuilt the fire department to 18 volunteer firefighters on the roster.

- We stabilized operations and restored coverage.

The Rio Hondo Police Department and the Rio Hondo Volunteer Fire Department have grown — quickly, and against the odds.

But growth doesn’t change one truth:

The men and women of Rio Hondo Emergency Services are human.

They are not machines.
They are not mind readers.

They need rest.
They need food.
They need time with their families.
They give up holidays, sleep, and personal safety to protect this community — often for little or no compensation.

They choose to do it and that choice matters.

Because if they ever decide to walk away, we go right back to where we started.

We are not done yet.

04/18/2026

Five Types of Licensing to Watch For

1. Moral Self‑Licensing: Using a good action to justify a bad one.

2. Risk‑Delegation Licensing: Expecting others to take risks that you wish to avoid.

3. Ethical Flexibility: Bending rules because “you’re usually good.”

4. Behavioral Compensation: Excusing poor behavior with past effort.

5. Social Desirability Licensing: Using good public image to cover weak performance.

04/05/2026

Jesus. A leader who stepped down from His position to be with His people. Who walked with them. Spoke with them. Loved them. Taught them. Sacrificed Himself for them.

More than a leader. He is the King of kings, Lord of lords, God with us.

He is Risen.

Happy Easter.

04/03/2026

There is work behind the uniform.

Most people see the gear and the uniform.
Fewer see the work behind it.

In public safety, performance isn’t just about responding to calls — it’s about preparing for them long before they happen. That preparation isn’t glamorous. It looks like repetition, honest feedback, mistakes.

Here’s what I’ve learned over the years:

- Training builds skill.
- Consistency builds trust.
- Humility builds teams.

And our community deserves all three.

03/28/2026

03/21/2026

Everyone’s an expert when they’re watching someone else learn.

These police cadets are brand‑new. They’re learning how to enter a room — a skill that takes knowledge, coordination, timing, and experience. It’s a compound skill, not a single step.

But the loudest critics?
They’d never judge kids learning basketball for dribbling sloppy on day one.
They’d never expect a 10‑year‑old to play like a seasoned athlete.
They understand that sports require reps, coaching, and time.

Police work is no different.
It’s a skillset — not a personality trait.
It has to be taught, practiced, refined, and stress‑tested.

People forget what it felt like to not know what they were doing.

And for those who say, “The shouldn't run drills until they can run it perfectly”…

That’s like not letting kids run basketball drills until they can execute every movement flawlessly in isolation.

Training is a process.
Progress is the point.
Everyone starts somewhere.

There is a time to expect more from students. However, it's usually not the first time.