“American law enforcement has never faced more significant challenges or more “after-the-fact” scrutiny in maintaining what former California Governor and President Ronald Reagan called the “thin blue line” between chaos and civilization.
At any time, police officers may suddenly be confronted with exigent danger to themselves, fellow officers, and, most importantly, to the citizens they are sworn to protect. They may have only a split second to assess the situation, determine the best course of action to protect everyone on scene, and act as necessary to deal with a potentially lethal threat. Having to take immediate action in such a situation, even once in a lifetime, would be impossibly difficult and unbearably stressful for most of us, but that’s something police train for as part of their job.
And yes, such incidents happen in Laguna Beach, where two of our police officers have died in the line of duty since the 1950s, most recently in 2013. We may view our town as “Mayberry.” Still, we enjoy our enviable sense of security only because of the brave men and women serving in our Police Department and other public safety agencies that protect us 24/7/365. I came to better appreciate their role after participating in LBPD’s Citizen Academy Class IX in 2003, shortly after moving here. In 2011, I was appointed by the City Council as a charter member of the City’s Emergency/Disaster Preparedness Committee, on which I have now served for a dozen years. In 2012, I completed training to join the first group of Laguna Beach Community Emergency Response Team (LB CERT) volunteers. Accordingly, I’ve had the privilege of working with several courageous, highly trained, and very dedicated men and women who staff our Police, Fire, and Marine Safety agencies.
Since 2019, I’ve been honored to serve on the Board of the Laguna Beach Police & Community Foundation, helping ensure that resources are available to assist our officers when they and their families need our help, as well as supporting important activities that the City cannot fund. Those include the Police K-9 program, the Public Safety Honor Guard, “Team LBPD” participation in the annual Baker to Vegas Law Enforcement Relay Race and building out a fitness/wellness center for LBPD members.
Please join our efforts at the Foundation so that the members of our Police Department, who always have our backs, can count on our community to have their backs as well. I invite you to consider making a tax-deductible donation to the LBPCF to support the well-being of the Laguna Beach Police Department’s men and women and the community they serve. Thank you in advance for your interest and generosity. ”
