Riverbank Police Services has a new position that has been in progress but was officially established in December to support the needs of the Riverbank community, the city and department. RPS Deputy Za Xiong has taken on the role of Community Resource Deputy in the City of Action.

Xiong has been a Deputy with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department for the past five years and for two of those years he has been patrolling the streets of Riverbank, so he has familiarized himself with the city and the community that he serves.

The new full time position not only has new duties and responsibilities but also a new schedule, working Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. with adjustments to his schedule as needed. Looking forward to serving the Riverbank community in the new capacity, Deputy Xiong will have the ability to focus on specific projects throughout the community.

“I get to focus on proactive stuff,” explained Xiong about the new position. “I can focus on one thing. I am currently working on a project basically something I was investigating on patrol. I will focus on that.”

RPS Sgt. Howard added that “during his first week Deputy Xiong began to make community connections with the city staff, other government programs in the region and religious organizations.”

The new position will include community support, addressing citizen concerns, and the needs of the department and the city. He will also be monitoring the RPS Facebook page.

“Deputy Xiong’s focus primarily has been on homeless outreach and education regarding resources within Stanislaus County that may be available to them,” expressed Howard. “This will be a continuous effort as time goes on and he is eager to work with other agencies in the process.”

The recent Annual Shop with a Cop program survived COVID-19; however, there were some changes that had to be made. Deputy Xiong assisted with the organization and success of the program in his new role. The shopping was completed and deputies delivered the goods to families for the holidays.

“His position will benefit the community in several ways,” stated Howard. “This position is designed to allow collaboration with other agencies to help provide information to assist in solving multiple issues not necessarily law enforcement related or law enforcement issues that may need a little extra attention.”