Albert ‘Al’ Bates - Senior Code Enforcement Officer – City of Escondido

Al Bates is a native San Diegan and except for his military experience has lived in the Poway, Rancho Bernardo, and Escondido areas all his life. After graduating from Poway High School, Al served as a Military Policeman in the U.S. Army while stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas and also while stationed in Germany. After his military service was completed, Al obtained a degree in criminal justice and was accepted into the San Diego County Sheriff's Department where he had a successful career in which he served as a jail deputy, patrol deputy, prisoner transportation deputy, and public affairs deputy.

During his time with the Sheriff's Department, Al also served as an Explorer advisor. It was in the capacity as an Explorer advisor that he takes some of his greatest pride as a Deputy Sheriff. Several of the Explorers he trained have gone on to have long and successful law enforcement careers.

Al received a medical retirement from the Sheriff’s Department in 1989 due to injuries sustained, in large part, during an attempt on his life while arresting an auto thief.

Al began a second career on February 19, 1991 when he became a Code Enforcement Officer with the City of Escondido.

In 2000 Al received a promotion and has been training and supervising the code enforcement staff ever since. Al recently celebrated his 20th anniversary with the City and is looking forward to the challenge of helping rebuild the division after lay-offs became necessary due to the current economic uncertainty. Al is married to Deanna, his wife of 34 years. Their daughter, Taryn, attends college out of state.