Dustin Kulling
About
Captain Dustin Külling is a first-generation American on his father's side. His father was born in Indonesia and came to the U.S. when he was a young boy. He is currently the Captain of Field Services at the Coronado Police Department. Prior to Coronado, Dustin led the Field Forces Division of the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, which is staffed by over 243 sworn and professional members who provide front-line law enforcement services to the community. He oversaw numerous high-profile programs and units funded by an annual budget exceeding $58 million. His oversight included the Community Car Program, Agriculture and Narcotics Enforcement Team (A.G.N.E.T.), Uniformed Patrol Operations, Special Weapons and Tactics, Hostage Negotiations Team, Explosives Ordnance Disposal Team, Mounted Patrol Unit, Unmanned Aerial Systems, Canine Unit, Boating Safety Unit, Animal Services Unit, Communication Center, and Crime Analysis. March of 2022 marks the beginning of Dustin’s 27th year working in law enforcement. Dustin completed the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Instructor Development Institute’s Advanced Instructor Course. He is a graduate of the exclusive P.O.S.T. Command College (Class 66). he received the Hank Koehn Memorial Award and was the Class Speaker. He is an Instructor II for the organization “Yoga for First Responders,” teaching first responders ways to achieve peak performance and process stress constructively. In 2019, he developed and certified through P.O.S.T. “Principles of De-escalation,” an 8-hour course designed for in-service law enforcement personnel to better understand the effect of stress on decision-making and techniques to attenuate the stress response. He is the primary instructor for this course and delivers it to sworn, correctional, and professional staff from agencies across the state. In 2020 Dustin developed, for P.O.S.T., the 8-hour “De-escalation for California Law Enforcement” (DCLE) course. The DCLE course is compliant with Senate Bill 230 and was created for local agencies to self-certify and present. In 2020, Dustin founded the California Command College Alumni Association (CCCAA), where he currently serves as President. He graduated from the P.O.S.T. Master Instructor Certification Course (Class 12), where he developed science-based coursework that explores the interactivity of officer wellness, de-escalation, and field tactics. Dustin resides in Coronado with his incredible wife, Patricia. This year they will celebrate their 29th wedding anniversary. Dustin and Patricia have three adult children. Joseph, their oldest, is serving in the U. S. Navy. Their middle child, Rachael, works in the worker's compensation insurance field. Asher, their youngest child, is a college student. Dustin and Patricia are grandparents to Abigail and Ethan.