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The Coachella Valley's largest city, Indio, has a new police chief in charge and he has big plans for the department.
Chief Richard Twiss started his career with the Indio Police Department in 1988, and he returned this January as the new chief.
He has plans to address the issues of crime, homelessness and the budget.
Home to nearly 80,000 people, the city of Indio is our largest city in the Coachella Valley.
And Chief Richard Twiss says in 2011, crime actually fell by 14 percent.
"We see less gang activity, part of addressing that element of our community is hitting it from different angles, enforcement, intervention and then be proactive."
Operation Eastern Encore was one of those tactics in December 2010 where law enforcement did a massive gang sweep in eastern Coachella Valley.
The new chief says they are tackling the graffitti problem.  Hundreds of people have been arrested, and thousands of taggings erased.
"It's what people see when they come into the city of Indio, and when they leave the city of Indio, now I have to tell you that there's been a 30 percent reduction in the amount of graffitti."
Chief Twiss also plans to re-introduce the quality of life patrol team to address issues like the homeless.
And for massive events like Coachella Fest, he says planning starts a year out.
Meanwhile he is doing an internal audit of the department, and addressing the budget.
"I feel good that we're going to make it through the budget cycle well, we currently have two vacancies, so I'm hopeful that when we get to the back end of the budget cycle we will be able to fill those positions."
Twiss met with the community at the Indio Chamber of Commerce meeting, and said he is glad to be back with the Indio Police over 15 years later.
"It's just a real blessing to be back with the city of Indio, it's very humbling to come back to the police department where I started my career, and to be able to work shoulder to shoulder with men and women that I began my career with."
Chief Twiss left his position of assistant chief investigator with the District Attorney's office to return to the Indio Police Department.