A 33-Year Journey of Excellence: Paul Guillen's Impact on Public Safety and Technology

Paul Guillen has had a remarkable 33-year career, and he’s profoundly impacted public safety and technology. In May 1991, Paul started his career as an entry-level dispatcher with the San Bernardino Police Department (SBPD). Paul became a cornerstone as a dispatcher and was promoted through the ranks, serving as a trainer, supervisor, and manager. Paul was pivotal in enhancing technology to improve emergency response in our community. He helped adopt a new CAD system and transitioned wireless call routing from the California Highway Patrol to local law enforcement agencies.

In 2012, the Sheriff’s Department was fortunate to hire Paul due to his experience after the city of San Bernardino suffered a fiscal crisis. Paul was hired as a Sheriff’s Communications Dispatcher II, a lower classification than he held at SBPD. Paul’s fantastic attitude and knowledge showcased his talent, and he was promoted to Sheriff’s Communications Manager in 2018.

Paul has been a driving force in advancing technology within the Sheriff’s Communications Division. He has held assignments at the Desert Control Center and Valley Control Center. Additionally, he has fulfilled the ancillary assignment of technology for the past five years. Paul has handled his fair share of large-scale projects for SBCSD, including being the first to be responsible for a center closure that temporarily transferred the daily operations of Valley Communication to the Desert Center.

In 2021, he managed an internal team in the “go-live” of a new phone system upgrade, a multi-year project. In honor of his work, he was recognized by the California chapter of APCO (CPRA) with a Professional Recognition certificate. More recently, Paul demonstrated strong leadership and steadfast dedication to his center and staff during extreme staffing shortages, harsh winter storms, and a significant systems breach that left the Department without technology for several weeks. He is highly involved with the State 911 office on NG911 projects and the project path. He’s a partner to allied agencies and a respected professional community member.

The Sheriff’s Department would like to congratulate Paul on his over 30 years of dedication to public safety. His dispatch family loves the way Paul treats others. Seeing him pulling up a chair next to an employee for a meaningful conversation is not unusual. The Sheriff’s Department will be sad to see Paul retire, but we wish him the best in his future endeavors. He’s worked hard, played a part in the Department’s and our people’s growth, and earned the right to put down his headset.