Lt. Paul Van Meel has served the Santa Maria Police Department since 1999.
Santa Maria Police Lt. Paul Van Meel has joined the board of the Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara County, also known as Santa Maria Valley Youth & Family Center and Guadalupe’s Little House By The Park.
Lt. Van Meel has served the Santa Maria Police Department since 1999 in various capacities including the Detective Bureau, oversight of the Special Enforcement Team, as patrol/watch commander, and currently as the administrative lieutenant/chief’s adjutant.
He received his police training at the Los Angeles Police Department. He has a bachelors in Criminal Justice from Columbia College and a master’s in criminal justice from the California Coast University.
In 2010, Lt. Van Meel was named Officer of the Year, the Mark Riddering/Street Narcotics Officer of the Year’ and the Santa Maria Police Department’s Employee of the Month. He also received the H. Thomas Geary Award, as well as other awards and commendations.
“We are thrilled to have Lt. Van Meel on our board,” FSA Executive Director Lisa Brabo said in a news release. “Our agency will benefit from his vast experience and his knowledge of the Santa Maria community.”
— Katherine Zehnder
