RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - When people ask Administrative Sgt. Branden Arino if he’s new to the Rancho Murieta Community Services District Security Department, he smiles and tells them he is “new and old at the same time,” a perfect description of his unique journey back to the district.

Arino, 34, first worked for the district from 2015 to 2020. He then moved to Kinder, Louisiana, where he found work at the Allen Correctional Center. There, he quickly rose through the ranks, advancing from cadet to major.

After returning to Sacramento earlier this year, Arino planned to apply for a gate officer position with the CSD, but he was instead interviewed for – and offered – the role of administrative sergeant. In addition to working day-shift patrol, he now supervises all Security Department personnel.

Raised in Carmichael, Arino graduated from Mira Loma High School and spent six years in private security before joining the district in 2015. As part of the district’s requirements, he earned a PCA 32 certificate – “Power to Arrest plus the 32-hour guards training” – through the Los Rios Community College District system.

Arino said that working for the district the first time “was pretty cool because it’s considered a state job” with solid benefits and a retirement plan. “It was a good place to work,” he added. “The staff who I worked with at the time was amazing.”

In 2020, Arino and his partner – who have three children – decided to move out of state, something they had talked about for years. They settled in Kinder, Louisiana, where Arino began working at the Allen Correctional Center, located six miles outside of town. The state prison houses between 1,500 and 1,600 inmates, who are held in four general population dormitories and a maximum-security unit.

Arino began as a cadet and completed the academy before quickly rising through the ranks. By the time he left, he held the position of corrections major: third in command below the warden. 

He managed a staff of 30 employees on his shift, overseeing everything from payroll to annual evaluations. He also served as a squad leader for the tactical team, which responded to incidents throughout the facility involving combative inmates.

In addition, Arino was a PPCT instructor for the tactical team, which trained weekly. Pressure Point Control Tactics are a widely used use-of-force system focused on pain compliance, control holds and defensive techniques designed to help officers gain control with minimal force.

However, the family’s move to Louisiana didn’t work out. 

“I don’t have a lick of family in Louisiana and neither did she, so she came back here with the kids,” Arino said.

Although they had agreed he would have the children during the summer, Arino came to California in February “just for a little vacation and a birthday,” he said.

“When I got out of my truck, my youngest daughter ran up to me, held me and cried,” he recalled. “That same day I quit my job in Louisiana, and I told the kids I was coming home.”

Arino had stayed in touch with some of the district staff and asked if any positions were available. 

He planned to apply for a gate officer position so he’d have a job lined up when he returned to California.

“Instead, they interviewed me for the administrative sergeant,” he said. “I’m guessing they chose me due to my experience in security and corrections.”

When he joined the department in April, it had only three full-time patrol officers, so Arino stepped into the day shift position. 

“It is a little bit of a slower pace than what I have been used to,” he said.

Not long afterward, one of the three officers resigned, increasing Arino’s responsibilities. In addition to helping to fill that gap, he has been dedicating time to updating the Security Department handbook. 

“I’m trying to get that straightened out right away,” he said. “That way, when we do have new hires, there will be adequate training.”

Arino also attends board and Security Committee meetings, where he reports on the department’s activities.

Arino believes his five years working in corrections have been valuable in shaping how he approaches his new role. 

“It taught me a lot about communication, and successful communication is pretty much the key to get through life,” he said.