By TR Robertson
An early Tuesday morning brought out a number of dignitaries, political officials, and members of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, as well as guests, to take part in the Red Ribbon Ceremony commemorating the opening of new office spaces for the Vista Investigation Unit. This Unit comprises the 13 detectives, analysts, and school resource officers that cover Vista and adjoining regions.
The new office spaces are now in a remodeled and refurbished former Vista Law Library that opened in 1978 and closed in 2020. The county-owned building has been unused since that time. Vista Sheriff’s Captain began the ceremony by introducing a number of personnel and dignitaries in attendance. He expressed thanks to everyone who has been a part of bringing the office space to fruition. Prior to the new space, the detectives, analysts, and other personnel shared the space with sheriff’s officers in the Sheriff’s Office, slightly across from the new offices. He also thanked the Hyosung South Korean conglomerate for their generous donation of all of the office furniture that filled the two large rooms and the office meeting room. Hyosung is a business that deals in textiles, chemicals, heavy industry, construction and more in a global network that is in 31 countries. They have over 17,000 employees.
Captain Malan next introduced San Diego County Sheriff’s Captain Kelly Martinez, who spoke about the importance of the new office space for the detectives. She also spoke about the importance of working with groups like Hyosung, which has been a major contributor in assisting the Sheriff’s Department when needed. She also pointed out the importance of the Vista Sheriff’s Station as in 2025 this station responded to 30,000 calls for service, conducted 8,000 criminal investigations and made 1,600 arrests.
Captain Malan next introduced a representative from Hyosung. The gentleman said the donation of the furniture was an investment in the community. He said working with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office aligns with their belief in resilience and long-term performance, as well as in establishing a great partnership.
Mayor John Franklin presented a proclamation about the opening of the new Investigative Unit Offices and spoke about how important the Sheriff’s Department is to the safety of people in Vista. He introduced Deputy Mayor Daniel O’Donnell and District 4 Councilmember Jeff Fox. O’Donnell spoke about the dedication of the Sheriff’s officers, and Fox thanked the Sheriff’s officers for taking care of the people of Vista.
Captain Malan then asked Investigative Unit Detective Sergeant Adam Milligan to join Captain Martinez and two representatives from Hyosung to take part in the Red Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. All those in attendance were then invited to tour the new office space and enjoy cookies and cake.
