Lost Hills Captain Jennifer Seetoo Sets Priorities For Calabasas

CALABASAS, CA — Emergency preparedness and reducing burglaries are key concerns for new Lost Hills Sheriff's Station Captain Jennifer Seetoo.

Seetoo on Tuesday and Wednesday talked with local authorities including the Las Virgenes-Malibu Council of Governments and city of Calabasas to set her agenda.

The Westlake-resident became Captain on May 10, but Seetoo is no stranger to the Malibu-Lost Hills community. In 2018 she served as interim captain for the department, which covers Agoura Hill, Calabasas, Malibu, Topanga, Hidden Hills, Westlake Village and neighboring areas.

Seetoo on Wednesday outlined her key priorities for the Calabasas City Council, which include emergency preparedness, burglary and school safety.

Seetoo first joined the Lost Hills station three days before the outbreak of the devastating 2018 Woolsey Fire, she told the Calabasas City Council. The experience taught her a lot about what needed to be amended to properly handle another major wildfire.

A key step to preparing for another wildfire will be updating the station's emergency operations center, which is outdated, Seetoo said.

At Tuesday's Las Virgenes-Malibu Council of Governments, Seetoo discussed communication and expectations during an emergency. She was joined by Los Angeles County Director of Emergency Management Kevin McGowan and Los Angeles County Fire Department Assistant Chief Drew Smith.

McGowan said the timeliness of internal notifications and creating a unified command are key. Both Smith and McGowan emphasized the importance of monitoring critical fire weather events.

Seetoo also addressed crime as a key concern as she steps into the Captain role, particularly burglaries. She encouraged homeowners associations to schedule meetings with her to help prepare local residents and keep neighborhoods safe.

Multiple Councilmembers addressed school safety in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas school shooting. On May 24, 19 students and two teachers were fatally shot at Robb Elementary School. The shooting sent shock waves across the country.

The Las Virgenes Unified School District and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District sent notices to parents affirming school safety measures would be reviewed. The Lost Hills Station increased patrols around Malibu schools in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

The Malibu-Lost Hills station will continue to work with both school districts even though schools were dismissed for summer, Seetoo said.