Three Santa Maria police officers received an early Christmas present from Chief Danny Macagni. On Dec. 20, he promoted Sgt. James Ginter, Cpl. Terry Flaa, and Officer Alfredo Ruiz to new ranks.
Ginter, now a lieutenant, is a 12-year veteran of the Santa Maria Police Department. He was originally hired as a lateral officer from the Lompoc Police Department, where he served for 10 years.
During his career with the Santa Maria Police Department, Ginter has served as a SWAT team member, patrol officer, detective, motor officer, and field training officer. He currently works in the Traffic Bureau as department Range Master.
Now holding the rank of sergeant, Flaa began his career in law enforcement after graduating from the Allan Hancock Police Academy in 1995. That year, he was hired by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, where he worked until becoming a full-time officer for the Santa Maria Police Department in January 2004. He has served as a patrol officer, a detective, and a field training officer. He’ll now serve as a patrol shift supervisor.
In an interview with the Sun, Flaa said the promotion came as a complete surprise. Officers test annually with multiple department review boards, which evaluate them on a pass/fail basis. If they make it through the oral reviews, they’re eligible for promotion.
“It’s very exciting, of course, and rewarding,” Flaa said. “I’m very honored to have been promoted.”
Now holding the rank of corporal, Ruiz began his career in law enforcement with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department, where he was assigned to detention duties and county patrol.
After graduating from the Allan Hancock College Police Academy, Ruiz joined the Santa Maria Police Department in 1999. He has served as a narcotics detective, a narcotics K9 officer, and is currently a patrol officer.
In 2002, he was named the department’s Officer of the Year. He’s also been recognized as Narcotics Officer of the Year for the Central Coast region. Ruiz is the current president of the National Latino Peace Officers Association and is a board member for the Santa Maria Police Officers Association.
—Amy Asman
This article appears in Dec 25, 2008 – Jan 1, 2009.