Canyon Lake City Council welcomes Captain Andrew Elia

The Canyon Lake City Council on Wednesday introduced Andrew “Andy” Elia, the new captain of the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station.

“It’s an honor to serve your city as a captain for the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station,” Elia said to the Council. “As your captain, I will be visible, approachable, and highly engaged with staff and the community while maintaining the highest standards of the department.”

Mayor Castillo welcomed the new captain. “This is a very pro first responder community so I’m sure that as you go through Canyon Lake, you’ll see a lot of friendly faces,” she said.

Elia officially began his role as the new captain of the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station on January 14. He has been serving in law enforcement for more than 20 years, most recently as a lieutenant for the City of Norco. After graduating from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Academy, Elia worked for the San Marino Police Department.

In 2001, Elia lateraled to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department as a deputy sheriff assigned to the Jurupa Valley Station where he patrolled unincorporated areas of Riverside County and the City of Norco. During his time, Elia graduated from the Special Weapons and Tactics Academy, was assigned as a field training officer, and was a school resource officer.

In 2005, Elia was promoted to the rank of corporal at the Moreno Valley Station where he was assigned to the Problem Oriented Policing Team. He was promoted to sergeant in 2008 and transferred to the Robert Presley Detention Center.

In 2010, Elia was transferred to the Ben Clark Training Center. In 2011, he was transferred to the Jurupa Valley Station where he worked a number of different assignments including patrol, watch commander, the Special Enforcement Team, and administration.

In 2017, Elia was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and was transferred to the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility to oversee Operations and Administration.