Volume 1, Issue 9 | November 4, 2022 | |
September and October Highlights | |
RECOGNITIONS AND NEW TEAM MEMBERS
In September, Chief Ron Lawrence hosted two Recognition Receptions to swear in the recent new hires and promotions and recognize special orders and retirements for the Costa Mesa Police Department.
The new hires that were recognized include:
Police Aides Gabrielle Getz, Luis Villegas Godina, and Guillermo Martinez, Crime Scene Investigator Ariana Pacheco, Police Officers Jonathan Roman, Darren Troung, Bradley Nabong, and Nicholas Harbert. The police department welcomes you all to the team!
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The recent promotions that were recognized include:
Sergeant Daniel Holl, Records, Property & Evidence Manager Olivia Rogers, Records Shift Supervisory Natalie Sanchez, Animal Control Officer Laura Reeker, Police Records Bureau Supervisor Donna Hendrick, and Lieutenant Matt Grimmond. Residents might recognize Lt. Grimmond, who was the Community Police Unit sergeant and part of many of the police department’s bike patrol social media posts. Lt. Grimmond comes from a law enforcement family; his great grandfather was a police officer, as well as his father, uncle, and brother.
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A Special Order and Medal of Merit was presented to Police Officer Eloisa Peralta for her life-saving response to an active robbery involving a suspect armed with a knife. Her quick action to stop a stabbing in progress saved the victim’s life. Officer Peralta acted with valor and carried out her duties as a police officer during that March 2021 incident. The suspect in that incident was found guilty by a jury on April 14, 2022, of attempted voluntary manslaughter.
The Costa Mesa Police Department also bid farewell to Officer Trevor Jones, who recently retired after eight years with the department. Many Costa Mesa residents might have met Officer T. Jones, who was active in the community through the Community Policing Unit, community events, and school bike rodeos. He was also known for his bike and skateboard tricks, which can still be found on the police department’s social media. The department thanks Officer T. Jones for his service and wishes him well in his retirement!
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On October 27, Officer Jacob Banks graduated from the Orange County Sheriff's Academy along with his fellow peers in Class #251.
In addition to earning the Outstanding Firearms Skills Award, Officer Banks ranked first in his class overall, earning him the Outstanding Graduate Award.
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Congratulations, Officer Banks, and welcome to our team! | | | |
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Welcome New Police Recruits
Police Recruit Jacob Sieder
Jacob was raised in Torrance and graduated from South Torrance High School. He graduated from CSU Bakersfield with his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He was previously employed by Manhattan Beach Post Restaurant.
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Police Recruit Patricia Valdenor
Patricia was born in Manila, Philippines. In 2003, her family moved to the United States. She was raised in the Norwalk and La Mirada area and graduated from Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from CSU Long Beach. She was previously employed as a Police Cadet with the Fullerton Police Department.
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Welcome New Police Aides
Police Aide Natalie Soto
Natalie was raised in Santa Ana and graduated from Segerstrom High School. She is a graduate of Santa Ana College with an Associate in Arts in Liberal Arts and a graduate of CSU Fullerton with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. Natalie was most recently employed as the General Manager of Nektar Juice Bar in Costa Mesa.
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Police Aide Max Wirtzer
Max was raised in the cities of Yorba Linda and Fullerton and graduated from Fullerton Union High School. He is currently attending Northern Arizona University and will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in December. He is majoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice, and minoring in Psychology. Max was previously employed by Northern Arizona University Police Department as a Safety Aide and Supervisor.
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SLI Graduation
On October 7, Sgt. Carlos Diaz graduated from the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute, “a program designed to stimulate personal growth, leadership, and ethical decision making in California law enforcement front-line supervisors,” per POST. Sgt. Diaz was one of many from various California agencies to graduate after eight months of study and hard work. Congratulations, Sgt. Diaz!
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Training
During the month of October, the Training & Recruitment team completed the mandatory training for firearms and Arrest Control Techniques.
Officers and sergeants participated in four hours of firearms training led by the CMPD Firearms team at Prado Olympic Shooting Park. Officers and Sergeants then participated in four hours of ACT led by the CMPD ACT Team at the West Side Substation.
Recruitment
On October 8, the Training & Recruitment team conducted PAT and Oral Interviews. Several candidates are currently in the background process. The City’s video production staff was on-site filming the process and will be creating a new instructional video that will be sent to future candidates applying with the Police Department.
The team also participated in job fairs at UC Irvine and CSU Dominguez Hills.
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Officer Sally Ortiz
By: Lt. Ed Everett
The Team Member of the Month for August is Officer Sally Ortiz.
Officer Ortiz had been reassigned, in a light duty capacity, to work in the Investigative Services Bureau.
On August 2, there was an attempt murder/stabbing incident at the retail center on the 1800 block of Harbor Boulevard. Officer Ortiz played a supporting role in that investigation.
As a result of an incident that occurred in a nightclub at the location, the suspect followed the victim and his friends into the parking lot. The suspect confronted the group and stabbed three of the subjects with a knife. One victim was stabbed in the chest, nicking the right ventricle to his heart. Detectives had limited suspect information. After interviewing a number of witnesses and reviewing surveillance video, detectives were able to identify a possible vehicle the suspect and his girlfriend drove away in.
Officer Ortiz assisted detectives in a support role and performed a number of record searches. She compiled information on the possible suspect and his girlfriend. Officer Ortiz created informational packets, which included the suspects’ photographs, criminal histories, addresses associated to them, and vehicle information. The suspects were located and arrested a short time later.
Officer Ortiz also assisted in conducting follow-up on a number of missing person cases by contacting the missing person or their families to learn they were no longer missing. In addition, Officer Ortiz reviewed and approved hundreds of reports on the P2C online reporting system. In reviewing these reports, she identified a crime trend of cellular phone thefts occurring at nightclubs.
We are honored to recognize Officer Sally Ortiz as the August Team Member of the Month.
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Man Arrested Safely After Long Standoff
On October 5, at approximately 10:30 a.m., CMPD assisted special agents from DOJ with a warrant service in the 1700 block of Monrovia Avenue. The DOJ had identified Luis Mendez Jr., 49, Whittier, through the Armed and Prohibited Persons (APPS) program, as a person prohibited from possessing firearms. The special agents had a warrant to seize his weapons and attempted to enter the business to serve that warrant when Mendez discharged a firearm. The special agents and officers retreated and deployed an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Again, Mendez discharged a firearm in the direction of the agents. Community members in the immediate area were asked to shelter in place through helicopter notifications. The CMPD Special Weapons and Tactics and Crisis Negotiation Teams responded to assist, and the surrounding businesses were evacuated. After more than eight hours of negotiations, Mendez surrendered and was placed under arrest with no injuries sustained by law enforcement or Mendez. Officers recovered a rifle, a shotgun, and multiple handguns at the scene.
Mendez was later booked at Orange County Jail for multiple counts of attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, assault with a firearm upon a law enforcement officer, and prohibited person in possession of a firearm. CMPD is investigating this incident and will be presenting the booking charges to the Orange County District Attorney for a filing decision.
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CPU and Park Rangers Meet with Partners
On October 27, Park Rangers and Community Policing Unit officers met with Costa Mesa Homeless Outreach, OC Parks, OC Office of Care Coordination, OC Outreach & Engagement, PATH, who runs Yale Shelter in Santa Ana, Endemic Environmental Services, who does surveying and restoration of Fairview Park, to further our collaboration between County and City services in addressing homelessness and preservation of Talbert Park South.
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SIU October Arrests and Seizures
On October 7, the Special Investigations Unit, working with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orange County, arrested a Riverside resident. He was stopped in Costa Mesa and found to be transporting five kilograms of powdered fentanyl with an estimated street value of $400,000.
This arrest was made as part of an ongoing narcotic trafficking investigation. The police department remains focused on getting this type of dangerous, fatal drug off the streets and out of the community.
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On October 21, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) working with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orange County, arrested three suspects in the City of Santa Ana, who were in possession of 55,000 fentanyl and over $20,000 in cash. This an active ongoing investigation.
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Gang Unit Arrest
On October 21, Gang Investigators learned that a known convicted felon was possibly in possession of firearms. While working with OC Probation, Gang Investigators contacted the suspect who then told them where the weapons were being held by someone else in Costa Mesa.
When Gang Investigators located that “someone else,” who was leaving his Costa Mesa residence, Gang Investigators stopped the man and searched his vehicle. They found a sawed-off shotgun, a privately made AR-15 style rifle with no serial number, and several high-capacity rifle magazines. The man knew that the convicted felon had been arrested and so was attempting to move the weapons when he was stopped by officers. Gang Investigators also searched the man’s residence and found a handgun and small amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Needless to say, both were arrested. Due to this being an ongoing Gang Investigation, the names of the arrestees will not be released.
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National Forensic Science Week in September
In honor of National Forensic Science Week, the Costa Mesa City Council recognized the Costa Mesa Police Department CSI Team with a Proclamation. The police department thanks the Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens and City Council for the recognition, accepted here by Chief Lawrence, Lt. Ed Everett, CSI Supervisor Lindsey Olson, and CSI Specialist Robert Rueda.
The CSI team plays an important role in the department. What’s a case without proper evidence collection and documentation?
CSI works closely with officers and detectives in processing the many different investigations/crime scenes. CSI responds to a variety of calls to collect and document evidence, including photography and 3D renderings, DNA collection, blood spatter, and impression evidence. CSI is responsible for booking evidence and maintaining the photographic evidence until a case is adjudicated. A big thank you to CMPD’s CSI team, who do amazing work every day!
The Police Department also acknowledges the Property & Evidence Team, who work hand in hand with CSI to receive, store, and maintain evidence items for safekeeping.
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Drug Take Back
On October 29, CMPD hosted a National Drug Take Back Day, a day where residents get the opportunity to bring us their expired, unused, and unwanted medications.
A big thank you to SIU Sgt. Jimmy Brown, Diane Gonzalez, and the Explorers for their time and effort. They collected over 18 pounds of expired, unused, unwanted medications from Costa Mesa residents so the drugs don’t fall into the wrong hands at home.
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DUI and Driver's License Checkpoints
The Traffic Safety Bureau conducted two DUI and Driver's License checkpoints in September.
As the Labor Day weekend started, on Friday evening, September 2, the Costa Mesa Police Department had a DUI and Driver’s License Checkpoint on 19th Street east of Pomona Avenue. A total of 536 vehicles passed through the checkpoint and 225 drivers were contacted.
This checkpoint resulted in:
-16 drivers evaluated for possible impairment
-3 DUI arrests
-15 citations issued for driver’s license related violations
-13 vehicles impounded
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On Friday evening, September 23, the Costa Mesa Police Department, with the assistance of the California Highway Patrol, had a DUI and Driver’s License Checkpoint on Baker Street, east of Bear Street.
A total of 217 drivers were contacted and yielded:
-28 drivers evaluated for possible impairment
-8 DUI arrests
-7 citations issued for driver’s license related violations
-9 vehicles impounded
A total of 640 vehicles passed through this checkpoint. The Costa Mesa Police Department appreciates all those that drove through and were patient as well as CHP for being a part of this checkpoint.
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Walk to School
On October 5 and October 12, the Traffic Safety Bureau took part in Walk to School.
Drivers were reminded to be extra careful and anticipate more foot and bike traffic and be prepared to stop for school buses and children crossing the street.
It's all about keeping the students and pedestrians safe.
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Cancer Walk
On October 23, theTraffic Safety Bureau and Police Aides made sure all Making Strides Against Breast Cancer participants were safe on their walk in Costa Mesa.
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Citizens' Academy
After a long hiatus, the Costa Mesa Police Department brought back and has been hosting an 8-week Fall Citizens Academy, running from September 22 to November 10. This cycle, there are 20 residents participating and learning about the department including topics like Patrol Operations, Dispatch, Investigations and Specialty Units, CSI, K9s, SWAT, Traffic Safety, the Explorer Program, and Recruitment.
Citizens Academy is a great way for someone to meet their local police officers and professional staff, as well as learn about a police department and how it is comprised of different Units working together to protect and serve their community.
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Crime Prevention Month
In honor of Crime Prevention Month in October, Mayor Stephens the City Council recognized CMPD’s Crime Prevention by giving them a proclamation, accepted by Captain Vic Bakkila, Lt. Clint Dieball, Public Affairs Manager Roxi Fyad, and Crime Prevention Specialist Jenette Martinez.
“Crime Prevention is about two things - empowering residents to mitigate crimes in their neighborhood and building partnerships with our Police Department,” said Chief Ron Lawrence.
Programs like Neighborhood Watch and Citizens Academy teach residents safety tips and educate our community on how the police department functions. Officers meet many residents during a time of need or crisis, so meeting residents at events in a relaxed environment like National Night Out, Coffee with a Cop, and Shop with a Cop are important. Staying in contact with our community and educating them on crime prevention is really where fighting crime starts; it’s about giving our residents that preventative tool against crime.
Crime Prevention especially thanks the whole CMPD team for always assisting with community requests, NW meetings, events, Citizen Academy, and Teen Academy!
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Retired Costa Mesa Police Lieutenant Jerry Hildeman passed away September 25, after a brave battle with cancer.
On October 12, police and city staff attended Jerry's memorial service at the Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside to celebrate Jerry's life and support the Hildeman family.
Jerry was a 24-year veteran of the Costa Mesa Police Department when he retired at the end of May. He was a father of three, a husband, son, brother, grandfather, friend, army veteran, and a leader in our community and department.
He will be remembered for his quick wit, innovative recruitment ideas, and his time spent in Patrol and as a k9 Handler. Jerry was part of the Honor Guard and he also served as a President of the Costa Mesa Police Association. He will be missed but never forgotten.
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On September 12, 2018, the police department lost Oscar Adrian Reyes. Although we continue to grieve this tremendous loss, we are comforted by having spent 13 wonderful years creating beautiful memories with him.
As an Officer, we are thankful for all his contributions to the department and the community. It has been four years. He is missed but will never be forgotten.
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Supervisors TBW
By: Lt. Matt Grimmond
On September 8, executive staff and supervisors across the department attended the Team Building Workshop at the Norma Hertzog Center. As is suggested in the name, this meeting was about building an already strong team to be stronger. This meeting was focused on fostering trust and leadership within department personnel while at the same time discussing and managing expectations, both internal and external.
True leaders are authentic; we are the leadership here in Costa Mesa, so it's imperative that we remain authentic. We are at the forefront of a new generation of police officers and professional personnel. We understand and accept this while simultaneously balancing all the challenges in today’s modern law enforcement community. It's at a time like this where we must strive to be authentic and genuine with our peers and our community.
Whatever I have done in my life and this career, I have always tried to surround myself with people smarter than me as well as those that are not afraid to argue with me. I especially like my feedback to be unadulterated. I think the TBW offered that platform of feedback, criticism and praise, in a fair and positive manner. It took us in the direction of a better understanding of how we can relate to each other in our chosen profession.
I commend the supervisors for maintaining their authenticity while we grow together into a better and stronger team.
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Supporting a Cause
By: Lt. Stephanie Selinske
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Pink Patch Project is an innovative campaign to increase public awareness about breast cancer. The project originated in 2013 with the Seal Beach Police Department, who began wearing pink patches on uniforms during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The project has grown over the years to include over several hundred partner agencies throughout the world. The Costa Mesa Police Department is proudly one of those partners. This year, a 2022 commemorative patch has been created for purchase.
Proceeds of each purchase will be donated to the City of Hope in an effort to raise funds for the fight against the disease. In addition to the commemorative patch, a Station 44 t-shirt, pink bears, and the original pink patch were also made available for purchase.
At the end of October, the 2022 commemorative patches sold out! It looks like we raised $5,948 from shirts, patches, and bears. A total of 85 badges were sold and the donation total for this was $1,700. In all, we brought in $7,648 for the Pink Patch Project and this year we will be donating $3,000 to City of Hope.
I'd like to thank everyone who supported the Pink Patch Project through donations as well as the team members who helped with the fundraising and worked hard to make this campain successful!
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FIRST RESPONDERS RELAY RACE | |
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CMPD Inaugural Race
By: Detective Matt Richie
In April 2022, the Costa Mesa Police Department participated in the annual Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay Race. In that race, the team dramatically improved their ranking from previous years and demonstrated an outstanding effort to compete against some of the top agencies in the country.
In an effort to continue their momentum, members of the team participated in the second annual First Responder’s Relay Race in city of Las Vegas on October 15th. The event is a new model designed to allow agencies an opportunity to prepare for Baker to Vegas, which integrates a team of nine officers who collectively run a total of 48 miles. Various law enforcement agencies from across the state participated in the race, and our department proudly finished 12th in our first time participating in the event.
In completing this year’s final relay competition, we look forward to the upcoming annual Baker to Vegas competition in 2023. Although several months still separate us from the day of the race, we are anxious to continue our pursuit for another impactful performance!
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In his first year as the leader of the Costa Mesa Police Department, Chief Ron Lawrence hosted Listening Tours, along with Mayor John Stephens and the respective District Councilmember, in each Costa Mesa district. These events gave residents the opportunity to meet the Chief and learn about the great progress and positive changes happening in the police department. Participants also had a chance to voice concerns and give input. This was also a great opportunity for Chief Lawrence to meet residents in all districts of Costa Mesa.
The Listening Tours began August 8, in District 3 at Vanguard University. The second Listening Tour was on August 17, in District 1 at the Mesa Verde United Methodist Church. The following week included two events, August 22, in District 2 at the Newport Mesa Unified School District offices, and August 24, in District 6 at the Boys and Girls Club. The fifth event was on September 7, in District 4 at Shalimar Park, and the final event was on September 21, in District 5 at the Costa Mesa Senior Center.
In each Listening Tour, different concerns were discussed and the City staff that were present took notes to follow up on resident questions and requests. There was also a table of informational resources for residents.
“I want to personally thank Mayor Stephens and each Councilmember who attended the Listening Tours, as well as the City staff who were always at the ready to help residents with resources,” said Chief Lawrence. “It was wonderful to meet so many Costa Mesa residents, who are also my neighbors, and to hear their concerns as well as their comments. These events gave me the opportunity to introduce myself but most importantly to address specific issues that were brought up. A special thanks to all those that attended the Listening Tours.”
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Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Open House
On October 22, SWAT, Traffic, Patrol, and Crime Prevention participated in the annual Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Fire Expo and Open House 2022.
SWAT Officers Ranck and Bao had their gear on display and participants were able to try on a vest and helmet. Officer Torres let the kids sit on the motorbike. Officer Heredia passed out stickers to kids checking out the patrol vehicle. Crime Prevention Specialist Martinez handed out Crime Prevention resources while kids spun the wheel for prizes and candy.
It was such a great day filled with live fire and rescue demonstrations, hands on displays, interactive games, and important community risk reduction and public safety education information.
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Barktoberfest
On October 22, the K9 Unit participated in the City of Costa Mesa's Barktoberfest. The Unit put on several demonstrations to showcase how handlers and K9s work together as well as the police service dogs' capabilities as force multipliers for the police department.
Sponsored by Costa Mesa Parks & Community Services, this fourth annual event featured a costume parade and contest, pet adoptions, food trucks and local pet vendors coordinated by our own Costa Mesa Animal Care Services team.
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Shine the Light
On the evening of October 25, Mayor John Stephens, Council Member Arlis Reynolds, Fire Chief Dan Stefano, and Police Chief Ron Lawrence were joined by other police, city, and fire staff at the first-ever planned Shine the Light walking vigil to raise awareness about domestic violence.
The event took place at Lions Park and was done in partnership with the nonprofit group Human Options. The event was also attended by Assembly Member Cottie Petrie-Norris and County Supervisor Katrina Foley.
The police department appreciates the great partnerships. That night, we all came together to shine the light on domestic violence.
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