Just over a month after longtime Sheriff’s Department public information officer (PIO) Sergeant Erik Raney moved on to a different job and was replaced by Sergeant Alex Tipolt, a press release was sent out to area media outlets today from Lieutenant Paul McCaffrey, announcing the end of his stint as the PIO for the Santa Barbara Police Department. The position had McCaffrey releasing statements about City police goings-on and being the go-to guy for reporters since 2003. As a result, his name appeared frequently in Independent articles and other publications throughout the city. Effective Monday, January 7, he will be replaced by Lieutenant Armando Martel for the next three weeks until a permanent PIO is selected by Police Chief Cam Sanchez. In what will likely be his final statement, McCaffrey noted that he will be managing the department dispatch center.