The Forest Grove Police Department is pleased to welcome Officer Richard Yamanoi and Officer Justin James who were sworn in on Thursday, October 9.
While they are new faces in Forest Grove, neither are not strangers to law enforcement and collectively they bring almost 18 years of experience to team.
Officer James started his career in law enforcement in 2008 with the McMinnville Police Department and served 14 years before making a move back east, serving briefly as a police officer in South Carolina. On his recent return to Oregon, Justin is jumping back into law enforcement as the newest FGPD patrol officer.
Officer Yamanoi began his career in public service in 2014 when he enlisted in the US Marine Corps, where he served for four years. Richard transitioned into law enforcement and joined the Portland Police Bureau in 2020, serving three years. Following a brief hiatus to complete his Bachelor’s Degree, Richard is returning to law enforcement as a Forest Grove patrol officer.
Both officers will spend a few weeks learning the ropes at FGPD through the Field Training and Evaluation Program, as well as getting to know our community before hitting the road solo in the coming months.