You may know Glendale Police Officer Matt Zakarian from the Glendale COPPS Substation in Montrose, his extensive work with the North Command Neighborhood Watch or as President of the Crescenta Valley Drug & Alcohol Prevention Coalition.
Zakarian met with Glendale's North Area Neighborhood Watch for the final time last week before he moves to his new role in Glendale Police Department's Detective Bureau.
"I feel the accomplishments I made surely helped me get the spot. I will walk away knowing I gave the Crescenta Valley all I had. I feel the CVDAPC and Neighborhood Watch are the community's biggest benefits," he said.
Zakarian's role with CVDAPC isn't set to change yet.
"I will continue to act as president of the CVDAPC and will eventually turn it over to someone else with equal or more passion," he said.
Neighborhood Watch will also continue, he added.
"Officer Abe Chung will continue to expand neighborhood watch and I am sure he will do a great job. What the community doesn't know is what happens behind the scenes. Our police department, and like many others, are struggling with downsizing and tightened budgets," Zakarian said.
A working relationship with the community can help Glendale Police Department get through its tough financial times, he said.
"The community understands this and has stepped up to help by being our eyes and ears of the neighborhood. As we all know, our prisons have early release schedules and along with a tight budget it makes it quite challenging," he said.
"My new position as a detective is to investigate crimes against persons. Types of cases I will be working include domestic violence, elder and dependent adult abuse, sex crimes, assault and battery and child abuse," Zakarian said.
Zakarian will now step back and work from behind the scenes.
"I am proud to work for the City of Glendale and I will continue to give them 110%. I will just be doing this from behind the curtain now," he said.
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