Officer Sylvia Canales is a well-rounded 15-year veteran of the Fresno Police Department, with experience in investigations involving confidential victims and sensitive cases, as well as tactical operations. She was previously assigned to a district tactical team and spent four years in the Family Justice Bureau investigating sexual assaults. Officer Canales was recognized for her community outreach, excellent interpersonal skills, and being an excellent judge of character. For these reasons, she was selected for the agencies Recruiting Unit, where she conducted hundreds of interviews and was an instrumental part of selecting the future generations of Fresno Police Officers. Officer Canales is the lead instructor for the Fresno Police Departments newest less lethal option; the Pepper Ball system and was instrumental in designing and creating the course content as well as the logistics of implementing this force option in the field. Officer Canales is also a lead instructor in the new Virtual Reality (VR) training classes as well as Force Options, Tactical De-Escalation, and Tactical Communication.