Allen Police: Behind the Badge

From San Diego, CA to Allen, TX with Detective Zeltner

• Allen Police Department • Season 1 • Episode 7

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Ever wonder what happens when a California cop moves to Texas? Detective Christopher Zeltner takes us on his 17-year journey through law enforcement across state lines, revealing both the humorous mishaps and serious insights that have shaped his career.

The interview opens with Zeltner's memorable story of chasing a suspect called "Ghost" in San Diego, complete with an embarrassing fall and barrel roll that his partner never let him forget—until he did the same thing a month later. This moment of vulnerability sets the tone for an authentic conversation about the realities of police work.

After relocating from California four years ago, Zeltner found Allen to be the perfect blend of growing city and tight-knit community. "We have citizens that genuinely love us and appreciate us," he explains, highlighting how Allen's supportive atmosphere differs from many other places. Now working in the property crimes unit specializing in auto theft, he offers practical advice for residents: "Don't assume crime can't happen here. Lock your cars, put valuables away, please don't leave spare keys inside your vehicle."

The conversation explores fascinating contrasts between California and Texas policing approaches, from differences in drug possession laws to search rights for probationers. Zeltner also discusses the department's cutting-edge tools, including stationary and vehicle-mounted license plate readers that help track stolen vehicles and solve crimes efficiently.

Perhaps most significantly, Zeltner shares his role on the department's peer support team, reflecting on how police culture has evolved since he began his career. What was once taboo—officers discussing feelings or seeking emotional support—has become recognized as essential for wellbeing, especially given the challenges facing law enforcement nationwide.

On a personal note, his story includes a remarkable detail: he's known his wife since they were both three years old, and they're approaching their 20th anniversary with four children in tow. These glimpses into his life remind us that behind every badge is a person with a family, hobbies, and everyday concerns—even a dislike of yard work!

Want to hear more stories from the men and women who protect our community? Subscribe to our channel and visit allenpolice.org for information about upcoming events.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

Welcome back to another episode of Allen Police: Behind the Badge, we're your hosts, officer Sam Rippamanti and Alexus Birmingham.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

And today our guest is Christopher Zeltner.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

Hey Chris, how are you Good? How are you? So let's talk a little bit about where you came from and what you do here in a minute, but all your time is not spent in Texas. I know that, yes, sir, got some California experience, all right. So out of both agencies, can you think of something? Give me one of your interesting stories in your career.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

So you know, luckily I prepared, but I thought of this the other day and it's one that's a little embarrassing, but you know, it happens.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

It'll be a San Diego story, but I had a really good partner down there, blake Williams, and he's a really good guy, super proactive, a great cop, and we would often go out and look for people that we knew were wanted in the area, especially if it had to do with the group that we were in prioritized our focus more on gangs and narcotics, and so we knew that there was this guy out there that was wanted. I don't remember his name, but his moniker was Ghost that's what his buddies called him Ghost. So he had a warrant, we were looking for him, we knew the area that he was hanging out in, and one day we're driving around and we see this taco truck on the corner of a couple of streets down in shell town in san diego and see, so there's this taco truck there and there he is, there's ghost, and he's sitting on a bmx bike in front of the taco truck like he's ordering some food, and we're in a marked patrol car.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

So he obviously sees us yeah approaching him and uh, so he sees us approaching and he, he kind of like glances, uh, nonchalant, kind of, goes and rides his bike around the back side of the of the taco truck. And so my partner is driving, he lets me out, I go around this side of the taco truck and he drives around this side. As soon as he sees that I had got out on foot, there's an alley right behind the taco truck. He starts jamming on his bike away from me and I'm like I'm going to get this guy before he gained speed. Right, I'm like I'm going to get this guy.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

I was a lot faster than but um, so, uh, I'm in my mind I'm going to, I'm going to get them. So I start taking off after him. But I was kind of I started my run on like an arc but I was trying to run as fast as I could. So, going after him, my partner's going in the car and I'm I'm chasing after him and uh, I'm like, okay, I got this. And I start feeling a little off balance. I'm like I'm going to fall. Okay, oh, no, I'm good, I'm good, I'm not going to fall. No, I fell. Yeah, I was chasing after this dude full on, fell at a brand new holster and a brand new gun and I burred up the whole side of it and everything, oh no.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

But you know, things happen when you go out and chase people and you know trying to find some people that are wanted, but we did catch the guy.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

That's what matters. It ended up being a very long pursuit, but we got the guy.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

But my partner never let me forget that I had had fallen, which was you did a barrel roll. Yeah, I actually did.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Yeah, I rolled and got up and kept running. Uh, he made fun of me quite a bit, which is, you know, all in good fun. But uh, about a month later he did the same thing.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

When you're chasing somebody else yeah so, yeah, it made me feel good it happens, uh, anytime. I remember the first time I got into a foot chase. It's like you are you're trying to run faster than your body's capable because of the adrenaline and you kind of get out over your toes, sometimes a little too far. Yep, and it happens.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

So so did you grow up in california I did.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

I was born in la uh raised in North San Diego County.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

Oh, okay. So you started out your career there, or did you go to college there?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

I did. I mean, I went to college in the area, but I began my law enforcement career with the city of San Diego.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

Did you always want to become an officer?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Actually, no, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I was kind of lost for a little while but got it figured out and decided it was something I wanted to do and and uh, actually happened pretty quick. Normally a hiring process takes a while, but I was. I was blessed with a swift. It was like four months from start to finish and then I was in the academy getting trained.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

What's the training like out in california? Uh, phenomenal. Yeah, they actually put a lot of time and effort into uh, their training programs pretty organized. We had the blessing of being near a couple of other larger agencies that are kind of um look towards as, um you know, the pinnacle of law enforcement. We had lapd and laso and both of them their training programs were fantastic. A lot of really good guys out there being in san diego, there's lots of military and the military does a really good job with their training. It's a lot of really valuable experience in law enforcement. So naturally those guys get out of the military and it's a pretty easy step to go from the military to a law enforcement career.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

So they get recruited pretty, pretty heavily out there A lot of Navy out there right. There's a lot of everything out there, oh, is it all branches In the area that I worked. We had the Marine Corps, the Navy and the Coast Guard and the Air Force.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

I know Iron Mike over at the PD. He was about to retire on us. That's home to him too.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

He loves San Diego area, so his home is in the southern part of Southeastern division of San Diego. That was my beat. His son lives in my old beat and he was a career Navy guy, senior chief, yep 32nd Street down there is really close.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

How long have you been in Texas now?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

My family and I have been in Texas for a little over four years. You just had to get this Texas heat, huh.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

Man, I can't tell you how much we enjoy texas. Yeah, it's been great for us. Was there any?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

particular thing that drew you to texas where we lived in california. I didn't live in san diego county, but it was a little bit more dry, uh like desert-y, uh weather still great weather, but um, but we were looking for something similar. I was looking for an agency that was about the same size as the one I worked after I was san San Diego PD, then another agency and then I came here, but I was looking for about the same size agency. We were looking for a similar living, but the Texas lifestyle fit us very well and we loved the Southern hospitality that we experienced when we came here. So it kind of pulled us in.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

How are an?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

alan, alan's great yeah, yeah, I mean the, the, the, the agency I worked for when I left california. I never would have left I. It was a phenomenal agency to work for and I'm very pleasantly surprised that I get to work for this agency where we have citizens that genuinely love us and appreciate us and obviously not everybody, but, uh, but for the most part it's, it's great and you know I would. I wouldn't trade it, I'm not going anywhere that's what I try to like.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

When my family asks what's it like working up there by dallas, I'm like it's it's hard to explain, like allen is different than all these other communities. It's sure you know it's it's on the verge of it's asized city, but it's a small community. It's that small town feel. The community buy-in to our first responders is amazing in this city.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Yeah, it's great. It's great to have that support.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

Were you a detective in California.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

I was.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

Okay. So you came here and knew you wanted to be a detective as well.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Matt, I don't know, that's a hard question. I've always loved being in patrol. I love going out and being proactive on the streets. So I was actually looking forward to that, Because there's good and bad in both positions, and being a detective in California I kind of missed the freedoms and liberties that come with being in patrol and whatnot. But once I got here I enjoyed the patrol aspect for about a year and a half and then I went back to investigations.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

He's got a particular set of skills.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

So what's your role in the department right now?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

So currently I work in the property crimes unit within the investigations bureau and we all kind of rotate, kind of what we do. I mean cases come in as they come in. We can't control that, so you try to stick with your specialties, but typically we will get assigned a wide variety of cases. My primary focus, and the training that I've gotten since I've been with Allen in CID in the Investigations Division, focuses on auto theft.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

Okay, is that pretty high in Allen.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

No, not really. I mean, we have a good group of guys working in the Investigations Division, have a a good group of guys working in the investigations division and, uh, our patrol guys have been fantastic as well and trying to combat the the uh, the auto theft crimes in our area and it's actually working very well, being very proactive and visible, but then going after people when we do witness them committing crimes and such has really helped. It's been, it's noticeable oh, we can.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

We see it on our end in community relations and what we're seeing on. You know, social media like our what y'all are doing up there is making a big difference. What, what we kind of tell our citizens when we go out, is allen's a very target rich environment. You know there's people now and have a lot of nice things, and so you know, with that in mind, what would you tell our community? Like to help prevent these vehicle thefts?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

oh man, uh, I mean just don't, don't assume, that crime can't happen here, it's it's not it's a very safe city. There's a lot of really large bonuses to living or working in an area like this but, don't take it for granted.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Lock your cars, put valuables away. Please don't leave spare keys to your car or your house inside of your vehicle Lots of stuff like that, simple reminders, but crime finds everybody. You think you might live in a super safe area and you don't need to do certain things, but please do. It prevents a lot of crime. Just locking a car or making sure you don't have valuables in view, things like that.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

It does seem like when we get a rash of burglaries, it's when we get the camera footage. Which camera's good to have. You think they're a good tool to have on you.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

I love cameras. Cameras are fantastic. The way it's kind of taken the place of burglar alarms it seems like now the motion cameras.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

But when we see that footage it's like people walking alleys just looking for unlocked vehicles most of the time.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Yeah, that's the majority of the burglary to motor vehicles. It's just walking alleys and trying to see who left their stuff unlocked. Goodness.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

Is there anything new in your unit?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

We've been blessed with some good resources as of late We've increased the amount of cameras we have in our city. The license plate reading cameras help us solve a lot of crimes and so I mean that's a new well, it's not new technology, but we have a few different avenues to utilize some resources for license plate readers people that worked really hard in trying to get those systems applied to our department and it's very beneficial and those are the flock cameras you're talking about those are one of them.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

We have vigilant and flock okay can you kind of describe what they?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

do like uh sure, the uh, the cameras are stationary and it's uh the, you know a vehicle drives by, it'll take a picture of the license plate and store that image. Um, so if we're looking for a license plate, if I have a stolen car that leaves an area, then we can track that license plate.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

We even have that on some mobile vehicles now right. We do yes. So how's that, Is it?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

getting some good info. Anytime you can put a vehicle or a person in a place at a certain time, it's definitely beneficial. That's pretty cool.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

Yeah, I think one of our Co P one of our citizens on patrol vehicles has it on there and it helped locate a stolen vehicle. I think is what it was there yeah, there's been.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

I know that there's been a lot of hits on them. I'm not sure which one you're talking about specifically, but yeah, yeah, they work. It's money well spent.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

So do you see yourself staying where you're at for a while?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

or you got I don't know, We'll see. I mean I like investigations, I like patrol. I mean you never know what's going to, what's going to happen or where your career is going to take you.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

Would you take on any collateral duties or anything like sparking your interest?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Oh, man, man, I have to be careful with that one. With my last agency I had too many collateral duties.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

It can happen quick.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Yeah, but here I'm a member of the peer support team and that's something that's pretty rewarding, where we get to assist the officers or people that we work with and make sure that they're in good health and that they're in the right place to be able to be doing our work, and that we're taking care of each other and we're there when somebody needs us.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

Yeah, that's such a valuable tool to have in our department.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Yes.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

Especially with what's going on around us.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Absolutely, it is. Yeah.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

And we can also provide assistance to other agencies as well.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

Right, correct yes, okay, yeah, yeah, and that's something, something we own. How long have you been in law enforcement? Uh about 17 years, so we're right about the same. I hit 18 next, like next month. So when we started, that was police officers talking about their feelings. What in the world no way like yeah, ask questions like that.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

I mean you're still gonna get cops when you, when you mention that they're gonna back off, but it's, it's kind of taken. Since we were newer cops, it's kind of taken a turn where it's not necessarily always, you know, talking about your feelings, it's more just just being there for each other if you notice your, your buddy's having a bad day or some you know you know that they had a traumatic event recently and just check them.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Hey, how you doing, all right. Well, if you need something, just let me know it's. It's really easy, it's natural. A lot of times we like to complicate things and think and turn it into a big deal, but it doesn't have to be. It's just making sure that people are okay.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

Yeah, it's. I think it's huge. Know texas or not just texas? Law enforcement's had a tough year this year, with officers committing suicide and yes and if we can do something to help our brothers and sisters, I mean I think absolutely.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

I mean we do it for the rest of the community, but sometimes we forget ourselves yeah, absolutely so you. I'm assuming you didn't move texas by yourself I did not move to texas by my family, your family, with you, I did.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

So how many kids do you have?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

I have four children. Four Well, my wife and I have four children.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

Four kiddos. Man, yeah, you don't look old enough to have four kids.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Well, we had them pretty quick. We have twin boys that are 17.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

Oh, wow.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

And then we had a surprise right away and that's another boy. He's 16. So Iris triplets there. And then we waited a few years and I have a daughter, and she's 12.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

Oh, my goodness, you got your little girl. Oh yeah, so what grade are your 17-year-olds?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

in. They are juniors, and then my 16-year-old is a sophomore and my daughter is in seventh grade.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

One more year.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Do they play any sports? They've done a variety of things growing up. They've done soccer and they've done karate and they've done baseball and football and all kinds of stuff. But currently I have one son who's a wrestler. I have another son who's in choir, I have another son who's in choir, I have another son who plays baseball, and then my daughter is a dancer.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

Wow. So where do you get your singing abilities from?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Probably not me. No, my wife is a fantastic singer.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

Oh, that's awesome.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Yeah, and my daughter inherits that as well.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

So you met your wife in California.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Yeah, that's kind of like a movie story. I've known my wife since we were three years old.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

No, way Wow.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Yeah, she's fantastic. So we met when we were three years old. Our parents were really good friends. We met through church and we spent summers and holidays and everything together Sounds arranged.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

Yeah, it does. Yeah, the parents were fingers crossed for this the whole time.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

No, they actually were super surprised, they didn't expect it. Yeah, yeah. But yeah, she's great and we've been married for in this, uh, july, we've been married 20 years. Oh, that's amazing congratulations. Yeah, it's pretty awesome lifetime I know, it seems like it.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

So what are some differences that you see from California versus Texas in law or in law enforcement?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Man, things have changed, even since I've left in the four years that I've been gone. But when I was first an officer, when I was a brand new rookie, I mean things were definitely different from when I left there as well. I mean, things were definitely different from when I left there as well. I remember the laws had changed in California and I remember writing my first citation for possession of a Schedule I controlled substance and that was a little odd for me because you know that's an arrest here, you know it's a felony here, but they changed it to misdemeanors there.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Sometimes it was a little disheartening when you go through all this work and you find somebody that you know committed a decent crime and they get booked into jail and then the next day you see them walk in the streets. You know where. They get released pretty much right away. So that was not the most fun thing in the world but because you know, sometimes people need a little bit more time to make things right for things that they've done wrong. Another thing that we had in California is that it would be conditions of probation. You know somebody does something wrong, they go through the court process and then part of the conditions of their release for their probation from jail would? They would waive their their right to unreasonable search and seizure? They would waive their right to unreasonable search and seizure.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Wow, so as conditions, it was to make sure that they were staying on track so you could go to their home and you could search their home, make sure that they didn't have the items that they weren't supposed to have whether it be guns or drugs or child pornography or whatever it was. We were able to keep tabs on them to try to keep them in the right direction. I like it, so I mean you stop somebody on the highway for a speeding ticket and they're on probation.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

With a fourth amendment waiver you could search their car yeah, so as long as they're on that probationary period, you can do that as long as it was part of their probation conditions not everybody yeah, had that condition, but oh man, I don't know if that fly in texas, yeah, yeah it's not something that really happens here, so yeah, absolutely not. That's interesting, but I'm sure some of the laws are very similar yeah yeah, there's a lot of laws.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

I mean you're going to take some property that doesn't belong to you. You know there's a law to protect that. You know they're gonna you're gonna harm somebody, there's a law to protect that. So i're going to harm somebody, there's a law to protect that.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

So I mean, overall, there's a lot of similarities when you came to Texas, did you just challenge the T-Cold test or did you go back to an academy?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

No, I challenged a T-Cold test and passed that test to be able to get my certifications here.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

Do you have any hobbies outside of police?

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Absolutely. I enjoy pretty much anything outdoors, especially if my family's there, whether it's sports or fishing, hunting, hiking. You know we like being outside and I can't stand gardening or lawn work. You know we still do it. But I've met a lot of people here since I moved here that are fanatics with their lawn. You know everything is perfect crisp lines.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

You got those real mowers. That's not me, yeah, that's not me.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

I don't enjoy yard work but but yeah, anything, anything outdoors and anything with my family we like doing our own repairs on the home and such and yeah we all my kids and my wife they're all involved as well it's all hands-on day.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

Yes, yes, I love it, but didn't it just ruin your weekend when you know it's a yard work weekend? Yeah, see, my wife loves to do yard work. Last weekend was that weekend at home and I was like, oh it's miserable.

Detective Christopher Zeltner:

Yeah Well, I have a benefit there. I have three teenage boys.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

Oh that's a one of mine.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

Yeah, you have to get started early in this Texas heat too. You don't want to wait until the middle of summer.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

Yeah, we learned that it took a couple years, and then the mosquitoes start coming out and everything else might be my least favorite thing about Texas. Mosquitoes and fire ants. Well, Chris, we really appreciate you coming and talking to us today.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

Yes, thank you so much yeah absolutely my pleasure.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

Thank you all for listening and watching today. If you want to know more about upcoming events, go to our website, allenpoliceorg.

Outreach Coordinator Alexus Birmingham:

And make sure to like and subscribe, and if you have any questions, leave them in the comments down below.

Officer Sam Rippamonti:

We'll see you next time.