PLACERVILLE, CA--(Marketwired - Oct 1, 2015) - The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians has its chief of police on duty following swearing in ceremonies yesterday. Kay Iida was sworn in by the Hon. Christine Williams, chief judge of the Shingle Springs Tribal Court.

Iida joins the Tribal Police from the Placerville Police Department where he served as police commander the past year. He began his career in law enforcement in 1987 as a police officer in Los Altos, Calif. He became a Santa Clara County Sheriff's lieutenant for the Stanford Police Department in 2007 before moving to Placerville last year.

Growing up in San Jose, Iida says he sees police work as an opportunity for long-term solutions to problems instead of using a Band-Aid approach. "You can talk to us. We're human, just like everybody else. We want to develop relationships," he says. "It's not just about putting people in jail. That's a barrier. We take every contact as an opportunity."

"I think that Kay Iida is the right man for the job at the right time," said Tribal Chairman Nicholas Fonseca. "We expect the chief of police to get to know people on the Rancheria and to work to build mutual trust and understanding that will build security for everyone."

The chief of police is responsible for ensuring the public safety for the Rancheria community, developing community outreach and collaborating with the Placerville Police Department and other jurisdictions. His job includes training and recruiting personnel. Iida says he wants to increase the department's use of technology to maintain transparency with the public, including body-worn cameras.