Story and photos by: Matt Lyons
Oceanside CA— Most everyone knows the legendary story of the Hatfield and McCoy feud from the late 1800s that involved two families in the American south. They lived on either side of the Tug Fork: “Devil Anse” Hatfield of West Virginia and Randolph “Ranel” McCoy of Kentucky.
These two families were locked together in a deadly private feud and eventually became part of American folklore and featured in dime store novels.
So it is kind of funny to think that a McCoy would ever hire a Hatfield to work for him. But that‘s what happened here recently in Oceanside, California.
Oceanside Police Chief Frank McCoy recently hired a Hatfield. Former Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff Mike Hatfield to be specific.
Mike, a 20 plus year veteran of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, was recently hired as a lateral, bringing his years of experience and training to the city of Oceanside. Hiring laterals saves the city significant money and capitalizes on the experienced and more mature officers.
Police Officer Mike Hatfield, who was hired earlier this year, recently finished his new officer training and was asked how he was settling into his new job at the Oceanside Police Department. Mike explained he was impressed with the professionalism of the officers at his new department and was quickly welcomed with open arms by his fellow Oceanside officers and the citizens of the city.
“Oceanside Police has one of the best relationships I have ever seen with the community and I am proud to have the opportunity to continue to serve here in Southern California for the City of Oceanside.,” said Officer Hatfield.
Officer Hatfield is a second-generation lawman, whose father also proudly served 20 plus years with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office until his own retirement.
Oceanside’s crime rate has shown a significant decline over the last 10 years and much can be credited to the leadership of the city and police department, the vision for the city, and the competitive and strict hiring practices of the police department.
Those interested in a career in law enforcement with the Oceanside Police Department can contact the local Oceanside Police Department recruiter and/or go to the City of Oceanside web page and click on careers: http://www.ci.oceanside.ca.us/
About the Author: Matt Lyons has contributed to several area newspapers and national online media outlets as a freelance writer. He has written on topics that involve human & community interest as well as selected topics related to law enforcement. He is the Author of: Images of America: Oceanside Police Department, Arcadia Publishing 2006. Additionally, he dabbles with freelance digital photography using cell phone cameras. After retiring from the United States Marine Corps, he and his family made California their home. They have been living and working in the local area since 1997.