AI-generated illustration of public communication; not a photograph of Torrance police facilities or personnel.

The Torrance Police Department announced October 28 that Jennifer Atenza is its new communications manager and public information officer. Her responsibilities include media relations, public information and social media messaging, along with internal communications.

Atenza has more than 18 years of experience with public safety agencies and a local connection: she is a Torrance native and former North Torrance High School student.

Her background includes handling communications during critical incidents and working with media and community organizations. For readers following department updates, her role connects the work happening inside the agency with the information shared publicly.

Know which information channel you need

For residents, this is a useful moment to separate routine department news from messages requiring immediate action. A news release can explain an appointment or summarize an investigation. An emergency alert may instead tell people to avoid an area, evacuate or shelter in place.

The city’s existing TorranceAlerts service sends notifications about emergencies such as fires, earthquakes and public health incidents. Residents can choose delivery by phone call, email, text message or the mobile app and customize their subscriptions. Think about which delivery method you are most likely to notice, including when you are away from home or not checking social media.

A practical household check

Our suggestion is to review those contact choices before an urgent situation, especially if a phone number or email address has changed. Decide how people in your household will find official instructions and share updates with one another.

When a police-related post appears in a neighborhood feed, look for the original department or city notice. Check its date and location before forwarding it. An old screenshot can be mistaken for a current incident, and a partial quotation may leave out an important update.

For emergency-notification options, look for TorranceAlerts on the city website. Save the official page somewhere easy to find, rather than relying on a forwarded screenshot. Keeping routine news and urgent instructions separate helps residents find the right information without treating every social post as an emergency warning.

Read the city’s appointment announcement

Appointment inquiries: Commander Jacob Gallacher, JGallacher@TorranceCA.Gov.