If you work hard, dreams really can come true at Cal State Long Beach, and University Police Captain Fernando Solorzano is living proof.
While attending the university as a student, Solorzano worked as a parking enforcement officer for four years. He had always wanted to become a police officer for the university but didn’t think it was possible because the university police only hired retirees from the Los Angeles Police and Sheriff’s departments.
Everything changed for Solorzano in 1988 when the University Police hired Jack Pearson as their new chief. Pearson changed Solorzano’s life and his face showed the utmost gratitude when he speaks about him.
Solorzano was the first officer with no prior police experience to be recruited for CSULB’s department.
After Solorzano was hired, he attended the Rio Hondo Police Academy in Whittier, Calif. Solorzano vividly recalled the academy being stressful and similar to a boot camp.
“You couldn’t do anything right in the academy,” he said, chuckling. “There was a lot of yelling, but the high-stress environment leaves you better prepared for real-life situations.”
Solorzano recalled a memorable moment in his career and reminisced to the time when Pearson sworn him in as a police officer.
“I was hired in 1994 and sworn in by the chief and during the ceremony I noticed a large poster for the FBI National Academy,” he said. “I told the chief how cool it was, and he asked me if I’d like to go some day. I told him it was my dream, and he told me to work hard and that one day I may also be able to attend.”
In 2007, when Solorzano was promoted to captain, Pearson retired. But before Pearson left, he nominated Solorzano to attend the FBI National Academy.
“The FBI National Academy was a great experience,” he said. “You get to meet police executives from all over the nation and make friends and great networking contacts.”
The captain joked about how this academy is the reason that people who work for the FBI seem to know people and have connections all over the place.
Solorzano said there was a big difference between the FBI Academy and his original Rio Hondo Academy. He said the FBI Academy is above the standard with its academics and workout program.
“This program develops the executives of the future,” Solorzano said.
On a more humorous note, Solorzano recalled a time where he and his ex-partner, Lisa Lash, got a silent-alarm call to a possible burglary on campus. Once they got there, he said he knew it was a false alarm but they still had to go through all of the proper procedures to dismiss it. The captain started laughing while recalling his partner seeing a huge water bug.
“She just flipped out and started jumping around and screaming and it was so funny to see this police officer with a gun freaking out over a bug,” Solorzano said.
Solorzano said he enjoys working at CSULB and loves the community environment.
“Getting to work in a professional environment with students, teachers and other members of the community such as LBPD and LBFD is great,” he said.
The captain enjoys working for a smaller department because, he said, it’s a dynamic environment with family values, allowing him to get to know people really well.
“I work with a great group of people and am very lucky because subordinates and uppers really care about me,” Solorzano said.
Even though the captain is in a career that requires him to be thick-skinned, he has a softer side and is not afraid to express gratitude and compassion toward his co-workers.
“This department has a great environment where you know you’re appreciated and you have an opportunity to develop and learn,” he said. “This motivates me to do the same.”
When hired police officers finish the academy, they immediately start their field-training with designated training officers. Captain Solorzano’s FTO, John Bellah, has nothing but kind things to say about Solorzano, who he has known for roughly 20 years.
“Fernando always tries to do what’s right,” Bellah said. “He has integrity and is a good solid police officer.”
Bellah and Solorzano ended up becoming partners and then Solorzano promoted to be his sergeant.
Bellah recalled another funny moment in Solorzano’s career when he was still in field-training.
“We were at the Nugget one afternoon when we noticed a guy with a beer in his hand who was wearing a federal agent jacket,” Bellah said. “We talked to the guy, who told us he was no longer law enforcement and was back at school.”
The officers did a pat-down for weapons and the man turned out to not be a student. He was a prior federal worker who had three drunk-driving offenses and had most likely been fired.
The man called the police department and filed a complaint against the two officers, and Bellah remembered Solorzano being really upset about it.
Bellah laughed and told him, “Look … you have to learn to handle personnel complaints before you can receive the medal of valor.”
Bellah said that Solorzano is an asset to the campus police department, and said that Solorzano has good qualities and will work his way up to chief one day.
“I’m real glad to have him as a captain,” said Sgt. Hanson Tith of University Police. “He uses the kind of management that will hold you accountable. If you mess up, you better tell him you messed up and not lie.”
Solorzano would like to retire around the age of 55 because it’s very important to him to see his six-year-old son get through college. By the time he retires, Solorzano said that he would like to succeed the chief of University Police at CSULB.