New Captain for Lemon Grove Sheriff's Station

Sheriff’s Capt. Pete Callewaert has been named to command the Lemon Grove Station, replacing Capt. Gigi McCalla, who has been at the helm here since Sept. 24, 2010.

McCalla has been appointed to the department's Personnel Division, following the promotion of Commander Don Fowler. Callewaert will take over starting May 18.

The station’s new skipper, who has been with the Sheriff’s Department 24 years, comes to Lemon Grove with an extensive background in local law enforcement. He was lieutenant of the Weapons Training Unit, having worked his way up through the ranks at several posts including the Santee and Vista stations, the Las Colinas, Vista and Central jails, the San Diego Regional Task Force, Special Investigations, In-Service Training, narcotics investigations in East County, and patrol beats in Vista and Fallbrook.

His goal, according to a Sheriff’s press release, is to continue the progress made by his predecessors in reducing the crime rates for Lemon Grove, Spring Valley and Rancho San Diego through the use of intelligence led policing methods— find out where the crime hot spots are and why.

“I believe we have a lot of dedicated and talented men and women at the station,” Callewaert said in the release. “It is my intent to use their skills and dedication to address all crime problems in an effort to improve the quality of life for the citizens we serve.”

Mayor Mary Sessom also issued a statement, saying she looked forward to working with Callewaert.

“On behalf of the City Council, I welcome Capt. Pete Callewaert to Lemon Grove. The city strives to provide proactive law enforcement with an emphasis on customer service for its residents and businesses. The Sheriff’s captain plays a significant role in ensuring that those objectives are accomplished. Capt. Callewaert’s breadth of experience, leadership skills and enthusiasm will be an asset to the city in fulfilling its public safety goals.”

Prior to becoming a deputy, Callewaert served as an Army officer. He is a graduate of the University of Nevada-Reno, and holds a degree in criminal justice.