The SLO County Sheriff’s Office substation in the Oceano just received a new commander, whose first focus is preparing for another stormy winter.
“We worked a lot with our county’s Office of Emergency Services to learn about preparations such as potential evacuations and the Arroyo Grande Creek levee,” Cmdr. Ian Doughty said. “So we’re trying to get the information out there by informing people where their evacuation zone is and just trying to prepare as much as possible.”
This level of preparation comes after two rounds of powerful winter storms in early 2023, which brought historic rains that caused Arroyo Grande Creek to rise quickly and break through the levee, leading to flooding and evacuations for Oceano residents.
Doughty said to help prepare community members for the possibility of another significant storm this winter, the county’s Office of Emergency Services will be hosting an event on Dec. 11 to discuss preparation skills and all things storm related.
“Having this be a public meeting, we will have Sheriff’s Office representation there to help facilitate any questions and really just get out as much useful information as possible,” he said. “Residents can also go to [SLO County’s website], click the county’s OES link, and from there look up recommendations for the zone you’re in while being provided with updated information.”
Born and raised in SLO County, Doughty says he’s been with the county Sheriff’s Office since 2012.
“I was promoted to commander in August, and then at the beginning of November, I was assigned to this south station as the commander,” he said.
Doughty said he spent a week in training and then four days in office as of Nov. 21, so he has some catching up to do but he’s excited to continue the substation tradition of working with the community.
“We do have events we host such as Cops ‘N Kids Day, Sheriff’s Day at the Ranch, and I’m looking to remain active in the community and continue that as much as possible,” he said.
He also aims to help people in the community feel comfortable and safe communicating with him and expressing their needs.
“I’m here to work and serve the community, so if there’s anything that we can do, improve on, or facilitate, always feel free to come in and talk with me,” he said. “I’m happy to speak with anyone and learn more about this community.” Δ
This article appears in Nov 23 – Dec 3, 2023.
