From Aimee - April 2024

In Memory

Dick Miller Celebration of Life

It was a wonderful Celebration of Life for Reserve Officer Dick Miller at the Memorial Center attended by family and friends from throughout his life including fellow members from Northrop, LASD, Kiwanis, Retirees and Hawthorne PD.

Scottie

In Our Thoughts

Sergeant John Bob Sanders

Our love and prayers go out to John Bob as he continues to battle cancer.  I recently reached out to John Bob and here is what he wrote:

So nice to hear from you.  Please advise everyone I am holding my own.  This type of cancer very few people survive it but I’m not giving up.  Thank you for asking but I really don’t need anything but friendship and prayers.  I would love to think that I still have a year in the cards but time will tell.  Thank you so much for thinking of me and give everyone my love.

Love to all 

John Bob

John Bob and fellow retirees when they took him to lunch last year.

Here is the contact information for John Bob to show your love: 

11 Mito Street

Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694

(714) 580-5405

Bobsanders095@gmail.com

Retiree Luncheon

The day started with a number of retirees qualifying on the range which was followed by a delicious barbeque prepared by Capt. Chris Port.  It was so great seeing everyone!!!

2024 HPD Reunion

I was asked to pass this along:

Everyone is invited to the 2024 HPD Reunion and welcome to bring wives, husbands, girlfriends, partners etc. 

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

1100-1500

Richmond’s Bar & Grill

145 Richmond St.

El Segundo, CA 90245

310-322-7397

I know they are trying to get a headcount so if you don’t have the contact information for Mo, then you can reply to me and I will forward your RSVP.

Los Angeles County Peace Officers’ Memorial

Manhattan Beach Police Officer Chad Swanson is being honored at the Peace Officers’ Memorial.  Chad Swanson started with the Hawthorne Police Department as a Parking Enforcement Officer before he became a police officer.  Chad will be commemorated for making the ultimate sacrifice while serving the residents of Los Angeles County.

Leonard Luna’s mother was invited to attend the Los Angeles County Peace Officers’ Memorial in honor of her son.  Paul Sepulveda will be escorting her to this event.  Anyone who is interested in attending is welcome!

Culture Committee

Please help!  I only received one reply!  See below:

As part of our Culture Committee, we are trying to compile a list of all of the K9’s and their Handlers through the years.  If all of you can help me compile a list for the committee members handling the K9 project, it would be greatly appreciated.  I can remember many of the K9 Officers and K9’s, but don’t necessarily remember years of service, ID #’s, and all of the K9 names.  It would be great to honor the K9 teams through the years but we need your help!  Email me with whatever information you have or can recall to ayoshida@cityofhawthorne.org 

·        Name of K9

·        ID # if applicable

·        Name of Handler

·        Officer ID #

·        K9 Years of Service

·        Picture with the K9 and Handler

From Aimee - February 2024

Reserve Officer Dick Miller #541

A Celebration of Life for Reserve Officer Dick Miller #541 will be held on Tuesday, March 12th from 1100-1400 hours at the Hawthorne Memorial Center in the Sun (main) room.  Retired Captain Richard Prentice will be honoring Dick’s life with his heartfelt words.

Hawthorne Memorial Center

3901 W El Segundo Blvd.

Hawthorne, CA 90250

It was decided to have the memorial service the day before the Retiree Luncheon at the station to accommodate those who are coming in from out of state or from afar.  It is the hopes of Paul Sepulveda, Rick Carver, and Captain Prentice, who have been helping Jeannette make the arrangements, that people can celebrate Dick’s life and then celebrate friends the following day. 

Many of you have been rsvp’ing with me and/or Willie Ray.  Please RSVP as soon as you can if you plan to attend so that we have a headcount for lunch which is being graciously prepared by Captain Chris Port.  Also, we need to make sure that we have the proper amount of rangemasters for those of you who are qualifying.

In Remembrance of Officer Larry Boe #073

So many of you expressed your sadness upon hearing the news.  Here are some kind words that were sent to me in response to the passing of Larry:

From Jacque Booker Mainstone: 

Such sad news. Certainly a great guy and cop.  I had the privilege of working with him as the first group of PSO’s came onboard in ‘84.  I, along with Jo Latham were the first Traffic Investigators and Boe was fun to work alongside him on the streets.  I’m thankful I had the privilege, but it was short lived as my husband got transferred to Northern CA and we both eventually hired with Shasta County Sheriff’s Office where we both retired as Detectives and eventually divorced and remarried. 

 From Tom and Andrea Jester:

 We attended the service and reception afterward.  Jim and Bonita Crawford along with Vic Valdez were also in attendance.   It was a very nice memorial service which was well attended.  If you knew Larry it was easy to see why so many were there to show their admiration and respect for the man.  It was clear that Larry and Cathy touched a lot of lives along the way.

Culture Committee

As part of our Culture Committee, we are trying to compile a list of all of the K9’s and their Handlers through the years.  If all of you can help me compile a list for the committee members handling the K9 project, it would be greatly appreciated.  I can remember many of the K9 Officers and K9’s, but don’t necessarily remember years of service, ID #’s, and all of the K9 names.  It would be great to honor the K9 teams through the years but we need your help!  Email me with whatever information you have or can recall to ayoshida@cityofhawthorne.org  

·        Name of K9

·        ID # if applicable

·        Name of Handler

·        Officer ID #

·        K9 Years of Service

·        Picture with the K9 and Handler

From Aimee - January 2024

Happy New Year!  As we begin 2024, I wish all of you good health, happiness, and the very best in this coming year.  I want to share a few upcoming dates and then I will send out a full version of a newsletter with updates and recent visits in the near future.

Services for Officer Lawrence Boe #073

A funeral mass for Officer Lawrence ‘Larry’ Boe will be held on February 3rd at 1200 hours at Saint Williams Catholic Church in Atascadero, followed by a BBQ luncheon at the Kiwanis Hall at Atascadero Lake Park, 7848 Pismo Avenue, Atascadero.

If any of you want to reach out to Kathy, please contact me for the information.

Retiree Luncheon

Please join us on Wednesday, March 13th for the Retiree Luncheon hosted by Chief Gary Tomatani.  The range will be open prior to the luncheon from 0930-1030.  Please RSVP as soon as you can so we can get a proper headcount for lunch.  Also, we need to know who plans to qualify at the range so that arrangements can be made with range staff.  Looking forward to seeing everyone!

From Aimee - May 23

Memorial Services for William Griffith

On May 20th, the memorial service for William “Bill” Griffith will be held at 1100 hours at New Hope Baptist Church in Creswell, OR.  The family has asked for donations in lieu of flowers to Giving Hope Cancer Kits at givinghopecancerkits@gmail.com or to the South Bay Police and Fire Memorial Foundation at sbpoliceandfire.com.

 See below for Bill’s obituary and a few photos that Judy Griffith shared with Arvid Krueger.

Robert Knouse

Robert Knouse was in the station a few weeks ago for one last visit to California for a while.  Bob has just been accepted into the kidney transplant program.  He will not be able to leave Arizona as he has to be within six hours of the hospital.  I just spoke to Bob and he sounds really good and in good spirits.  If anyone wants to send him well wishes, you can email him at k9kid73@sbcglobal.net  

Still In Our Thoughts

John Bob Sanders still in our thoughts as he battles his pancreatic cancer!

Robert Shay

Robert Shay #292 aka Shayboy has officially joined your ranks!  Here are a few pics from his send off at the station. 

Shay’s patrol shift.

Chief Tomatani

Chief Gary Tomatani was officially appointed as the Chief of Police of the Hawthorne Police Department at the council meeting on March 28, 2023!

Recent Retiree Visits

Julian Catano visited yesterday with his wife Monica and their son Christian who is an officer with Huntington Beach Police Department.

Erik Martin also made a surprise visit in April.

Charlie Leonard and Victor Valdez visited us this past week.

Willie Ray came to the station on his daughter Brittny’s first day at work as a Police Records Technician.

From Aimee - March 20, 2023

Love and Support from our HPD Family

John Bob Sanders

John Bob Sanders has been undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.  The goal is to shrink down the tumor so that they can operate and remove it.  The treatment sounds very intensive but this will allow him to have more special time with his family.  As of today, John Bob is feeling stronger now than when he first started treatment which has really helped his outlook. He thanks so many friends and well-wishers. He sends his love and all the best to the Thorne. Let’s show our love and support while John Bob battles his cancer!

John Bob Sanders address is:

11 Mito Street

Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694

Bobsanders095@gmail.com

(714) 580-5405

Bill Griffith

Bill’s daughter and wife reached out to Arvid Krueger to let everyone know that Bill’s kidneys are failing and due to his weak heart, he cannot do dialysis.  Bill is at home under hospice care.  I reached out to his family, and his wife Judy thought it would be nice if people could send any memories or stories they have with Bill.  I’m sure loving support from his HPD family will give some strength and warmth to Bill and his family! 

Bill Griffith’s address is:

 204 Copper Way

Creswell, OR 97426

cdrhills@charter.net

Upcoming Retirements

Robert Shay #292

Robert Shay recently announced his retirement.  Robert will officially retire on April 30, 2023 however, his last day at work will be next Tuesday.  Shay has 27 years of service.  Today, he brought his new grandson, daughter, son-in-law, and of course his wife, Lydia, to the station for some pics before his final farewell.

Carlos Gutierrez #298

Carlos Gutierrez also recently announced his retirement.  Carlos will be officially retired on June 28th and will continue working through May.  Carlos has 26 years of service.  The Gutierrez name will continue with the HPD family as Carlos’ daughter, Jasmine, has been working with us a jailer for the past four years.

Highlights from Chief Ishii’s Retirement

HPOA President Michael Matson presents Chief Ishii with his street sign

Chief Ishii pinning incoming Chief Tomatani during Transition Ceremony

Chief Ishii with his wife Mika and daughter Emily

Captain Lane, Chief Tomatani, and Chief Ishii

Retired Chief Port and his son Lt. Chris Port and girlfriend Wanda

Retired Chief Fager and his wife Cathy with Detective Derek Limbacher

Chief Gary Tomatani

After Chief Ishii retired, Gary Tomatani was selected as the Interim Chief of the Hawthorne Police Department.  Gary has continued to lead our department with the Hawthorne culture and strategies for our continued success and development!

First day as Chief!

City Manager Von Norris, Starbuck’s Manager, and Chief Tomatani at the first CWC at the new Starbuck’s in Hawthorne.

Chief Tomatani with Detective Jesse Lopez and SRO Ericka Marroquin at a Meet and Greet with City Officials at Holly Park.

Chief Tomatani with Sgt. Jason Moulton, K-9 Officer Cody Dahlen and his new partner Whiskey, Detective Vince Arias, and Captain Lane at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Memorial Dog Park to the rear of the Memorial Center.

Chief Tomatani, Lt. Joel Romero, McDonald’s managers, McDonald’s owner, SRO Kirk Moiseve, and McDonald’s Director of Operations at CWC at the McDonald’s on Hindry.

Some Recent Retiree Visits

Retired Chief Ishii visited us at the Axon Event for the first time since he retired.  It was great to see him!

Jimmy Connor made a surprise appearance at the station all the way from Texas!  He was out here for his granddaughter’s 16th birthday.

Happy Easter

Wishing everyone a beautiful Easter with your family and friends!

Retiring

For our former HPD employees

Well, that flew by! I leave HPD this week after 32 years. I now understand what all of you felt before retiring. A bit of relief, sadness, anxiety for the future, and all the emotions that go with leaving something you were a part of for so many years. But watching all of you look so great in retirement gives me comfort in knowing what you already know.

The below picture was my graduation photo in 1992. Many of you knew me when I was hired as a Reserve two years before this. To be able to share this with you brings back memories of my early days here. In fact, as Chief, I spent a lot of time keeping the culture we had back when you were working. HPD culture is actually pretty close to how you remembered it “back in the day.”

I was glad to see many of you at this year’s POA Xmas party. See the photos below. I should be sitting at the retiree table next year!

We have a short transition ceremony this Thursday to bring on Gary Tomatani as the Interim Chief. We are the last agency in the South Bay to stay within for the Chief’s position. I’m glad I was able to keep it that way. You are welcome to stop by and join us. It will start at 10 AM and go on for about an hour.

HPD is still a special and unique place, as you remember it. Officers may be new, but believe me, they could be put right there in early 90s HPD and fit right in. They will make you proud.

Thank you to everyone for continuing to support HPD from near and far. Many of you have helped me to where I am today. Too many to mention here and for another time.

Merry Christmas.

Ishii

Dec 2022

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Retirees Luncheon

Dennis Barberic

John Lay

Bruce Klawitter

John "Link" Dixon

Dave Ball / Larry Robinson

Willie Ray

Bob Knouse / Jim Royer

Larry Grajeda / Paul Sepulveda

Mark Kirunchyk

Mark "Paco" Escalante / Paul "Sepo" Sepulveda

Ray Simper

Dave Harris

John "Bob" Sanders

Dick Miller

Richard Prentice

Bob Fager with Ishii/Tomatani/Lane

From Aimee - May 6, 2022

Kenneth Vannorsdel

It is with great sadness to inform you of the passing of Kenneth Vannorsdel.  Kenn courageously beat cancer that he had been battling for years and had just returned home when he suddenly suffered a brain hemorrhage last week.  He is survived by his wife, Deborah, of 25 years.  Kenn and Deborah had a total of five children between the two of them and lived in Earp, CA.

We were informed of the sad news by his niece, Veronica Hartfield.  Veronica is the wife of fallen LVMPD Officer Charleston Hartfield who lost his life while trying to protect the lives of others during the Route 91 Harvest Festival as the first spray of bullets rained down on the festival.

I was able to provide the family with a few great action photos from Mullen but that was all I could locate for them.  If you have pictures that you would like to forward to the family, please email them to me at ayoshida@cityofhawthorne.org

Also, if you have some great stories or memories, I’m sure the family would love to receive them.  Veronica believes that Vann’s badge number was #27.  Can any of you verify this for her?   

Services will be held on Friday, May 27th. 

There will be a viewing from 0830 and services are scheduled for 0930 at:

White Emerson Mortuary

13304 Philadelphia Street

Whittier, CA 90601

They will then proceed to his final resting place for a thirty-minute graveside service scheduled for 1240 at:

Riverside National Cemetery

22495 Van Buren Boulevard

Riverside, CA 92518

Kenneth Vannorsdel proudly served our country and served the city of Hawthorne for thirty years from 1961 until he retired in 1991. 

From Aimee - March 2022

Patricia Denny

It is with great sadness to inform you that Pat Denny passed away last night in Torrance.  She had been surrounded by her dearest friends Paul Sepulveda, Lameka Bell, Mark Lindbergh, Vicky Baar and of course, her favorite Scottie. 

Pat was a parking enforcement officer for our department for 39 years until she retired in 2015.  She was the original 5P1! At the end of last year, Pat broke her hip and was slowly healing but still needed assisted living.  She was currently recovering from a stroke she had last week. 

Pat was so proud of the Hawthorne Police Department.  Pat always slept with her Hawthorne PD bag right next to her that was given to her by Chief Ishii.    Yesterday as she knew her time was coming, she insisted on putting on her Hawthorne PD Baker to Vegas shirt that she received for her birthday in January. 

Pat expressed her desire that she did not want a service and for her ashes to be scattered in the ocean by Redondo Beach.  Pat was an icon and will be missed!

From Aimee - February 2022

Derrick Cabrera Celebration of Life

Crisy Arneson-Cabrera wanted me to extend an invitation to all of you.  There will be a Celebration of Life for Derrick Cabrera held on Thursday, March 10th from 1100-1500 at the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes.  If you would like to attend please RSVP to CabreraRSVP@gmail.com

New Officers

Well I’ve heard all of you say how you don’t recognize everyone as we have so many new officers.  Well now, we just added seven more!  If this makes you feel better, I don’t know all of their names yet.  We are now up to serial number 434!

SoFi Stadium

We have been assisting Inglewood PD at SoFi Stadium since the football season started which has been quite an experience.  We worked all of the Rams and Chargers games along with the concerts.  Two weeks ago, we worked the LA Rams vs. SF 49ers NFC Championship game and then waited to see who would advance to the Super Bowl.   

Super Bowl LVI

We assisted with Super Bowl Pre-Week events at SoFi and in Downtown Inglewood as we prepared for the showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. This past Sunday, we worked Super Bowl LVI!!!  For the first time that we could recall, we had every sworn officer working on the same day.  It was an awesome experience!  Our officers worked the entire Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4 of the stadium with a handful of officers on the field level.  We also had officers working the Bike Detail in the parking areas surrounding SoFi where there were multiple tailgating parties with stages.  Everyone was there to have a good time and enjoy the game.  From Rams fans to Bengal fans, we were treated very respectfully.  We were all grateful for such a unique opportunity to work the Super Bowl and watch the game in real-life!  Regardless of who your favorite team is, it is pretty cool to have Los Angeles represented in our own stomping grounds.

Rams After Party at the Hawthorne Airport

The Los Angeles Rams held their After-Party celebrating their victory at the Hawthorne Airport.  The party was held at the Advanced Air hangars which was transformed beautifully into a first-class event.  They initially were planning on 2,500 guests which turned into 4,000 guests.  There was a constant parade of players and celebrities until 0400 hours.  It was amazing to have a party of this calibre in our own backyard.   

Pat Denny

Pat Denny has been recuperating since she broke her hip a few months ago.  To help celebrate her birthday and to let her know we were all thinking about her on this special day, the Traffic Bureau and the Community Affairs Bureau led by Rick Carver in the old 56’ Police Car, caravanned in parade style so that she could see all of us waving to her and singing Happy Birthday.  Due to COVID restrictions, we weren’t allowed to go inside but the nurses made sure that she had a wonderful view from her window.  Sepo said that she was talking about it for days to the nurses as she felt so loved.  Happy Birthday Pat!

Monte’s 70th Birthday

Richard Monteverde celebrated his special birthday this year with friends and had a great time!

From Aimee - November 2021

Tom Caracash Memorial Service

We received a call from Peggy Kearney-Sorrano, an old-time family friend, who advised us that Tom Caracash passed away on June 19th.  Tom Caracash was an Administrative Analyst for our police department from 1989 for a period of ten years while we were at the old station.  He was a West High Warrior Class of 1979 (pictured above with fellow WHS graduate).  A memorial service will be held on November 6th at 1500 hours at the Self Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades.     

Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine

17190 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

(310) 454-4114

Catano Graduation

Captain Julian Catano was a very proud dad as his son, Christian, prepared to graduate from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Academy Class #245 at his Fallen Officer Memorial Run.  Christian and his class ran in honor of Hawthorne Motor Officer Andrew Garton #333.  A contingent from Hawthorne ran with his class in honor of Andrew.  Congratulations to the Catano’s!

Dave Mains Retirement

Congratulations to David Mains on his retirement!  He was joined by family and friends to celebrate last month.  Congrats Dave!

Paco’s 70th Birthday

Birthday wishes to Mark Escalante who celebrated his 70th birthday on October 28th!  Mark celebrated his milestone with many of his old-time friends this past weekend.  Happy Birthday Mark!!!

HPOA Christmas Party

Saturday, December 11th from 6:30 pm to 11:30 pm

Shade Hotel, 655 N. Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach, CA 90277

HPOA Retirees are invited to attend at a discounted rate of $50 per person to show thanks for your service to our department and the community!  Please RSVP by emailing ayoshida@cityofhawthorne.org and send check payable to HPOA.

There are only a few rooms left at the discounted rate of $249 under HPOA Christmas Party – rooms are only available until November 19th!  You must call Shade Hotel directly at (310) 921-8940 to make reservations.

Recent Retiree Visits

October 10, 2019 - Frank Miller

October 10, 2019 - Frank Miller

October 1st, 2019, Ray Simper

June 17, 2019 Steve Baker

June 24th, 2019, Steve Cruickshank

May 29, 2019, Willie Ray, Larry Robinson, Christie Chiarello

May 23, 2019 Bob Fager

May 20, 2019, Jim Wade

May 8, 2019 Larry Robinson, Joel Romero, Mike Lee

March 12, 2019, Mark Hayes

March 7, 2019 Dick Miller, Scott Swain

February 11, 2019 Jeff Robertson, Shawn Shimono

January 16, 2019 Jim Connor

January 15, 2019 Paul Sepulveda

John Dixon and Jim Connor

From Aimee - August 23, 2021

First of all, let me apologize for the delay in having a newsletter.  When it appeared that COVID and the restrictions were lifting, we started to hit the ground running to make up for all of the time lost due to the pandemic.  We started all of our programs up such as futsal, explorers, power project, Coffee with a Cop along with some new ones all of which was very time consuming. 

We presented the Community Academy (aka Citizens Academy) in July for the first time in over eleven years.  The first class was comprised of our major stakeholders from our neighborhood associations, school districts, and businesses.  The room was filled with such positive energy and there was great interaction amongst everyone.  Unfortunately, we had to put it on pause as COVID started to spike again and indoor mask mandates were put in place. We are currently only participating in select outdoor activities as we continue to monitor COVID.

We have had some internal cases again but mainly amongst the smaller number of unvaccinated personnel.  This new strain appears to hit harder as we have had some personnel who became quite ill.  Fortunately, everyone has recovered with no ill effects.

Derrick Cabrera

Our well wishes are with Derrick Cabrera who is currently hospitalized due to COVID.  He has been requiring oxygen but is recovering steadily and should be released this week.  He said he feels 100% better but is very weak and lost a lot of weight.  Of course, he is in good spirits and sent me this pic saying it’s his best pose.

Matt Mundon

We suffered a loss to the Hawthorne family when Herb Mundon lost his youngest son.  He wanted me to share his feelings with all of you along with some factual information with a few from the heart words.

August 16, 2021.  The day my son, Matt Mundon, passed away after fighting a battle with the devil, alcohol.  He was 36.  Matt chose to be cremated.  A gathering of friends and family will take place sometime in the near future.  We will share the time and place with everyone wishing to take part.  Painful as it will be to share the experience, it would be nice to see old friends once again.  We have all suffered losses.

If I may, I’d like to share a few of the thoughts that I had on that day.

“As I’m sitting here by the window looking out into the evening, I’m empty.  Today, August 16, 2021, has been a horrible day for us.  We’ve lost someone special.  Someone dear to us.  Someone who has struggled.  Someone so full of love and kindness that we really never got to see how deep it was.  I will miss him terribly.”  I felt that the song written by Vince Gill, on the day that his brother died, was also written for Matt – “Go Rest High On That Mountain.”

As a friend, who has gone through a similar emotional event of losing their child, said, “We have, with great sorrow, joined the group that no one wants to be a part of.”

God bless.

Please let’s provide love and comfort to Herb and his family during this time as they deal with their tragic loss.

SoFi

For over a month, we have been assisting Inglewood PD with SoFi events.The stadium is quite spectacular and huge! Even after working every weekend, I am still learning the layout. We have either been working the gates as the third line of defense or roving within the stadium. So far we have worked a Rave, Justin Beiber, Loyola Marymount graduation, Rams vs. Chargers, Rams vs. Raiders, Chargers vs. 49’ers, and this weekend is Los Bukis. It is a new experience for all of us. We will continue to assist Inglewood through the NFL season along with special events.

Qualifications

For those of you who still need to qualify, you can make arrangements by contacting Sgt. Shawn Shimono at sshimono@cityofhawthorne.org or (310) 349-2804.

Shawn Shimono

Effective August 28, 2021, Sergeant Shawn Shimono will be changing his title as he was just promoted to lieutenant!  Shawn was on a road trip driving his daughter Shelby to college in the state of Washington when he received the special phone call from Chief Ishii announcing the news.  After this call, Shawn drove out of cell service range and when he started receiving service again, his phone exploded with well wishes.  Congratulations Shawn! 

From Aimee - Garton Memorial

Motor Officer Andrew Garton #333 Memorial

This Wednesday, May 26th marks the 10th Anniversary of the passing of Officer Andrew Garton #333.  Officer Andrew Garton was the first on-duty death for Hawthorne PD. 

It was ten years ago when we heard the news that 5M3, Motorcycle Police Officer Andrew Garton #333, was involved in an on-duty fatal motorcycle collision.  At the time of the collision, Andrew was honoring fallen Manhattan Beach Police Officer Mark Vasquez and was providing escort services to his final resting place, when another motorcycle police officer collided with Andrew causing fatal injuries.  Andrew was a 7-year veteran of the Hawthorne Police Department, a motor officer, SWAT officer, Honor Guard member, Police Officer Association board member, a husband, father, and a friend.

The memorial service for Officer Andrew Garton will be held this Wednesday the 26th at Forest Lawn in the city of Cypress at 1100 hours.  It will be a short service with a small gathering of department members, friends, and family.  All are welcome to attend. 

Forest Lawn Memorial Park 4471 Lincoln Avenue, Cypress, CA 90630  

Location of gravesite - Sunrise 6939, Space #3 Hawthorne Parking Enforcement Officers will be on site to direct    

Badge number #333 will forever be in our hearts.

From Aimee - April 8th

Memorial Service for Officer Gale TenEyck

The memorial service for Officer Gale TenEyck #42 will be held on Friday, April 23rd at 1400 hours.  The family has made arrangements at:

 5495 Via Rocas, Westlake Village, CA 91362

The family wanted me to share this information with all of you for anyone who would like to attend the service.  If you are unable to attend in person, they plan to Zoom the service however, they do not have a link yet.  Let me know if you will need that information. 

Culture Committee

As I have mentioned before, we have a Culture Committee who is tasked with preserving our culture and history at Hawthorne PD.  We decided that our first project will be the briefing room.  The counter tops have been lined with old trophies from Softball, Baker to Vegas, and other mementos from throughout the years.  We plan to have a trophy case made and placed in the atrium area on the bottom level to display all of these treasures from the past.  In the briefing room, we want to create a timeline of photos depicting patrol through the years on the wall similar to the SWAT photo montage in their garage. 

This is where I need your help with the older photos.  Please send me one or two of your favorite patrol or uniform photos.  You can scan the photo and email it to me at ayoshida@cityofhawthorne.org or if you prefer to mail it, I will scan it then return it back to you.  You can mail it to:

Lt. A. Yoshida
Hawthorne Police Department
12501 S. Hawthorne Boulevard
Hawthorne, CA 90250

We need to have a basic version drafted within a month so I will need these photos as soon as possible if you want to have it considered for this particular wall.  I’m hoping each and every one of you will take the time to help me preserve our history!!!

From Aimee

In Remembrance of Officer Gale TenEyck

Officer Gale TenEyck #42 passed away unexpectedly at his home in Agoura Hills on Saturday, February 27th.  Gale was hired on May 6, 1968 and he retired in 1998.

We were contacted by an old partner of his, Virgil Bartlett, who was a Reserve Officer for our department from 1967 to 1970 until he was hired full-time by LASD.  Virgil thoroughly enjoyed working with Gale and had many old school stories to tell. 

I was contacted by Gale’s nephew, Sean TenEyck, who is a Trooper with Nevada Highway Patrol in Las Vegas.  Sean shared with me:

My uncle spoke very highly of your department and all the officers, he truly loved his time he spent there.  Thank you for giving me a hero to look up to and footsteps to follow in.

I also spoke with Gale’s granddaughter, Samantha Chamberlain, who spoke lovingly of her grandfather.  Samantha also shared a few photos.  She included one that Samantha was told it was her grandpa’s signature ‘pose.’

The family plans to have a memorial service however, they are unable to make arrangements until sometime after the end of the month or the first part of April. The memorial service for Gale will most likely be in April. I will advise once they set a date.

Hawthorne Police Officer Jose Gomez receives the State of California Governor’s Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor

Governor Newsom Honors Public Safety Officers and Service Members with Medal of Valor

Published: Jan 25, 2021

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Xavier Becerra today presented the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor to eight public safety leaders from the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Hawthorne Police Department, Gilroy Police Department and the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The Governor also awarded the California Military Department Medal of Valor to seven members of the California National Guard. Each of the honorees distinguished themselves through courageous conduct above and beyond the call of duty.

“Today’s Medal of Valor honorees demonstrated unparalleled heroism in service to their communities, risking their own safety to save lives,” said Governor Newsom. “Their actions are an inspiration to all of us and we offer our deep reverence and gratitude to these extraordinary individuals for the sacrifices they make every day to protect their fellow Californians.”

“The recipients of the Medal of Valor selflessly answered the call of duty, exemplified exceptional heroism in the face of imminent and life-threatening peril, and displayed the inspirational attribute of a chief responder: courage,” said Attorney General Becerra. “As our families persevere through this pandemic, it is important that we thank and honor those who give us hope. Today we do just that.”

Hawthorne Police Department

• Officer Jose Gomez

On April 7, 2019, Hawthorne Police Officer Jose Gomez responded to a call at the Marriott TownePlace Suites in Hawthorne. What initially was identified as a domestic violence call elevated to an armed suspect threat to the general public. A male suspect, armed with a gun, was chasing a female. Multiple callers reported that the male suspect had shot the female and one of the witnesses. The suspect was now chasing the female victim toward the hotel lobby.

Officer Gomez was the first to arrive on the scene and observed the suspect, dressed in full military gear, run toward the Manhattan Gateway Shopping Center. The suspect began shooting at Officer Gomez, striking his patrol cruiser. Officer Gomez exited his patrol cruiser and engaged the suspect by returning fire, utilizing a zig-zag approach. The suspect ran toward a shopping outlet and took cover. He once again engaged Officer Gomez in an exchange of gunfire from a distance of approximately 100 yards. Officer Gomez took cover behind the pillars in front of a restaurant and returned fire, exhausting his rifle capabilities.

Field Training Officer Jesus Ceniceros was the second to arrive on the scene. Officer Ceniceros also took cover behind the pillars, limiting cover for both officers. The suspect jumped over the west wall of the building and was shot by Officer Gomez. Officer Gomez was shot by the suspect and suffered a through-and-through rifle wound to his left thigh, leaving him motionless and exposed. Hawthorne Officers Jesse Lopez, Alan Weinreb, Cody Dahlen and Robert Shay arrived on the scene and immediately began first-aid efforts by applying a tourniquet to Officers Gomez’ leg. The Officers carried Officer Gomez to a nearby police unit. Officer Ceniceros drove Officer Gomez to the nearby LA County Fire Department Station for medical treatment.

Multiple agencies, including SWAT teams and fire and rescue, would coordinate the efforts to locate and arrest the suspect, who ultimately surrendered and was taken into custody by responding Manhattan Beach SWAT Officers.

For his extraordinary bravery, heroism and courage in the face of imminent and personal life-threatening peril, Officer Gomez’s actions were above and beyond the call of duty and exemplify the highest standards of a California public safety officer.

Turn up the volume on this video clip and you can hear the exchange of gunfire.

Due to COVID, Jose was honored in a virtual ceremony with Governor Newsom that was exclusive to a very small audience.  Since the overall department was not able to participate, Chief Ishii hosted a department-wide Zoom call.  Chief Ed Medrano, Chief of the Division of Law Enforcement for the CA Department of Justice and former Gardena Chief of Police, personally delivered the medal to Jose.

Officer Jose Gomez was hired in 2008.   He served our country as a Marine before he became a police officer.  Gomez utilized his tactical skills and knowledge and demonstrated his preparedness as he rolled on scene to the shopping center located at the southwest portion of Rosecrans/Aviation.  When the suspect opened fire as he was still in his unit, Gomez was able to immediately engage the suspect as they started their running gun battle.

Jose has been recovering from his leg injury since the date of the incident.  It has been a long road to recovery but Jose returned to work this week and should be cleared to return to full-duty status within a month!

We are extremely proud of Officer Jose Gomez for his actions on April 7, 2019!

April 7, 2019

April 7, 2019 will be a day that Jose will never forget but let’s start at the very beginning of the day….

Forty people representing the Hawthorne Police Department left the station in the early morning hours to participate in the Run to Remember Los Angeles 2019 at the Westfield Mall in Century City. 

Run to Remember pays tribute to fallen first responders who have made the ultimate sacrifice and raises funds to serve families of those who have fallen.  We were running in honor of Sergeant Leonard Luna and Motor Officer Andrew Garton.  Run to Remember is a core project for one of our very own Hawthorne Reserve Officer Steve Robinson.

In honor of fallen Gardena Police Officer Toshio Hirai, we had also reached out to each South Bay agency to form a core group of runners to run the 10K in support of Gardena PD and Officer Hirai. 

Chief Ishii and Captain Catano participated in the Unified Command Staff March which started the event followed by the 5K, 10K, then the half marathon in uniform.

The half marathon was the last portion of the race.  Just as our officers in uniform were crossing the finish line, we were advised of a 999 with our officer down.  As we all started running directly to our units, I realized I had two officers running with me to my unit instead of just one.  One of those officers was Dianne Carmona.  As we struggled to get out of the congested parking structure, I could hear the shakiness in her voice as she was being advised over the phone that it was her husband, Jose Gomez, who was struck by the gunfire.  As we were all rolling hard on the freeway, I could hear on the radio that we were receiving mutual aid from South Bay agencies as well as SWAT teams as many were coming from the Run to Remember 10K.  Since I was the patrol watch commander that day, I confirmed that the CP was being handled and there were enough resources and drove Dianne directly to Harbor General so that she could be with Jose.

Once I was assured that Jose and Dianne were fine and protected by other officers, I responded to the crime scene.  The crime scene was extensive as it started at the hotel on our side of Aviation and extended westbound across the street to the shopping center in Manhattan Beach and then involved the lanes of traffic on Rosecrans Av.  After a full day of dealing with an officer involved shooting which involved an officer down, injured suspect, and an extensive crime scene, we heard an officer excitedly broadcast ‘shots fired’… ‘at the station.’  ‘Shots fired at the station’ was repeated and then updated to a 998.  It seemed like an eternity, even though it only took a split-second, for everyone to fully comprehend what was occurring.  A second OIS had occurred at the station.

The victim had responded to the station with her mother, sister, and son for a child custody exchange.  Suddenly, the father of the child emerged from his vehicle and started chasing the victim as she ran toward our front lobby doors.  The suspect fired one round from a shotgun, striking and killing the victim.  The night watch commander heard the blast and ran out toward the front of the station and began firing rounds as the suspect fled in his vehicle.  The suspect fled southbound Hawthorne Blvd then dumped his vehicle in the 4400 block of 132nd St and fled on foot into the neighborhood.  An extremely large perimeter was established again with the assistance of mutual aid. 

Hours later, we were still managing the large crime scene from Gomez’ shooting, managing the crime scene at the station for the second OIS, and managing the CP for the large perimeter for our outstanding murder suspect.  In addition, our resources were spread even thinner as multiple officers were waiting to be interviewed by Sheriff’s homicide and we were having to keep watch on witnesses for two different OIS incidents.  It was a day beyond words to describe but as always we handled in true Thorne fashion!

Range Qualifications

Now that we are on the recovery side of COVID, we are slowly opening up our station.  In the meantime, Chief Ishii has opened the range to retirees for qualifications effective immediately.  If you need to qualify at our range, contact Sgt. Shawn Shimono so that he can schedule a date and time for you.   You can email him at sshimono@cityofhawthorne.org

Robert Knouse

Detective Carlos Gutierrez #298 went to Arizona to watch Spring Training.  While in Arizona, Carlos visited Robert Knouse on his beautiful property.  He said that Knouse looked great and noted that he was proudly displaying his street sign.

Visits with Chief Ishii

Frank Miller

Paul Sepulveda and Ray Simper

Willie Ray

Jeff Robertson

1. Blast from the Past

Bruce Klawitter sent me a picture from the past at the old station.  Klawitter said it was a Halloween night when he arrested the guy for DUI stating he was appropriately dressed! 

I am placing this picture in our Culture Committee folder to be considered to be a part of our photo montage walls.

Please feel free to send me your favorite photo so that history can be memorialized!

Old Pics

Can’t thank all of you enough for your prompt responses in helping me to identify some of the people in the old pictures framed and hanging on our station walls. 

Actually, Gale TenEyck assisted me with identifying several people.  Gale identified Chief Harry Severns and Captain Mac Baumgartner in the one group picture.  Gale stated the Chief Severns was the one who hired him.  Of course, that was after he laughed at me and called me a newbie!

Here are a few more pictures to add to the collection…

Mark Escalante, Fred Galassi, and Steve Baker….do I have it right?

February/March

Bill Griffith #107

Paul Hill #126

Wayne Salmon #071

Vince Schiavi #051

From Aimee

Happy New Year! 

I hope the start of year finds everyone healthy and safe amid COVID and all of the controversy that is surrounding us. 

First the sad news….

Don Zaccaglin

Retired Agent Donald Zaccaglin passed away last month due to COVID at Loma Linda Hospital in Murrieta.  Zaccaglin joined Hawthorne PD in 1957 and retired in 1979.  He was uncle to Jim Matthews.   Zaccaglin was able to enjoy his retirement years to the wonderful age of 85.

Since he was before my time, I want to share a few memories from those who remember him.

Captain Prentice confirmed that Zaccaglin was the last of the officers who were hired in the 1950’s!  He said Don was a lot of fun to work with and was a good friend to Chief Coleman Young.

Thoughts from Simper:

I still see Zac driving that 1974 Ambassador (jail/bucket) station wagon carrying fully uniformed Beerling, Leffler, Burck, Hayes, Shindle and Smith who were fresh out of the academy for their city orientations. For at least a week, they occupied all 3 rows and two of them had to climb onto the back tailgate to get to the dreaded 3rd row.  Zac was having a good time with that overloaded wagon and all the new people. 

Zac did my background investigation and with every contact he made, they shared with me how nice he was and they couldn’t believe he was a cop.                 

Zac was a nice person to run into at the station - especially during my first four months, his sincere inquiry’s made things easier in the “boot” period.

Zaccaglin will be interned at Green Hills Memorial Park in Palos Verdes, CA on January 27th. There will not be a service due to COVID.

COVID

Unfortunately, we are still being hit with COVID at the department.  With all of our protocols and safety measures in place, we are still out there performing our duties to protect our community.  My son, John, who has been working in patrol tested positive and even though I was automatically quarantined, I had already been infected as well.  We were both very fortunate in that we were both basically asymptomatic.  Neither of us became really sick.  There have been many in the department though that have been put flat on their backs.  Thankfully, everyone has been recovering.  My word of advice is that masks and distancing are great prevention tools!  I was glad that I followed these protocols as I did not infect anyone around me at work. The real danger is within families as most don’t follow protocols as home.  Please continue to stay safe and healthy!

Robert Knouse

We heard that Bobby Knouse suffered from a heart attack at his home in Arizona last month.  Knouse has been recovering at home and is doing well and getting better every day.  He told me that after he was released from the hospital, he saw his cardiologist who told him that he didn’t have a heart attack.  Knouse said the high enzyme that is usually indicative of a heart attack was caused by stress on his heart from his kidneys and his kidney bleed.  He considers himself a lucky guy and is very thankful for all of the positive thoughts he has been receiving from everyone!

John Mair

This is a highlight from last year that I want to make sure to acknowledge.  Our very own John Mair was a hero a few months ago.    While on his way to paradise on a Honolulu-bound Hawaiian Airlines flight, a ‘crazed passenger’ attempted to open the aircraft exit door mid-flight.  There were 205 passengers and crew aboard the Airbus A330-200 that departed LAX at 1004 hours on October 28th.  Fortunately, the door remained sealed as the passenger was restrained by HA crewmembers and John!  The passenger was taken into federal custody after they safely landed in Honolulu.  John you are to be commended for your true act of heroism!  I wouldn’t expect any less from anyone from the Thorne though, retired or not, it’s who you are and part of our culture!  We are very proud of you John!

Culture Committee 

Chief Ishii created a Culture Committee to help us preserve our history and to pass it on to the future generations.  We are in the beginning stages of the project.  Of course our progress has been delayed due to the recent surge of COVID cases which caused us to go back to COVID team-policing.  I am the only link to anyone in the double-digits or 100’s, and the only representative of the 200’s.  There are several representatives for the 300’s and 400’s respectively.  In other words, I need to rely on all of you to help memorialize that era of Hawthorne PD.

For those of you who have toured the station, you have seen the SWAT garage where a historical mural covers the wall displaying SWAT through the years.  We would like to create other murals throughout the station showing our history from past to present. 

Another one of our goals it to identify the people in the old pictures we already have displayed around the station.  I need your help with identification on many of these pictures.  I think some pictures are just too old - so even a year or time period would be helpful.  Each column, I will feature a number of old photos that I hope you can help me with.  Here are the first few…

This one should be easier for everyone….I know who the young officer is on the left but need help with officer on the right…

Need help with the two ends of the bottom row….anyone know what year that was?

Start looking through your old photos for those few priceless pics that you think will help to preserve our history.  Email ayoshida@cityofhawthorne.org

End of COVID year

In a recent station ‘ZOOM’ meeting, Chief Ishii recognized that January 1, 2021 doesn’t truly start a fresh year as we are in the worst stages of COVID.  He is hoping to mark the end of 2020 as March 13, 2021.  That day signifies the day that Officer Christi Chiarello passed away.   We were able to pay tribute to her at the hospital as the pandemic was just starting but we were never able to have any form of a service due to restrictions that were immediately put in place.  We are hoping that we can memorialize her in some way on her anniversary date as we hope to start moving toward a brighter future. 

January Birthdays

Wishing all of the January babies a very Happy Birthday!  I apologize as I know that I am likely missing many of you since I only have more current information available to me.  I wish I had the memory of Captain Ogden and Woody Austin who never forget a birthday!  Birthday wishes to Ron Householder, Rick Monteverde, Neil Connor, Kathy Blackmore, Mark Hayes, and Chief Ishii!!!

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Special message from Dodger Manager Dave Roberts

At our Zoom meeting, Chief Ishii surprised us with a special message from Dodger manager Dave Roberts for our Hawthorne PD family.  Wanted to share it with all of you…

From Aimee

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As we near the end of the year, I wanted to update you on the latest…

Brad Bristow

In September, retired Sergeant Brad Bristow passed away after his brave fight with cancer.  Many of you reached out as you were saddened and wanted to be able pay tribute and show your respect for Brad.  As of today, there are still no arrangements that have been made for a service mainly due to the pandemic. I will advise if any arrangements are made in the future.

On the day of his passing, I believe that Brad was smiling down with pride as his daughter, Erica, had been named as Hawthorne Police Officer of the Year.  Since that time, Erica has followed in her father’s footsteps as she is currently Acting Sergeant Bristow.  Erica found her academy graduation picture where Brad had proudly pinned on her badge.

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Biff was a genuine person who would give it to you straight and always had your back. He was a true character with a wonderful sense of humor and countless stories - some of which still can’t be repeated.  Brad was truly a part of our Hawthorne culture and will never be forgotten! 

Bill Rivas

Congratulations to William Rivas who retired from our department after 35 years of service!!!  Bill was one of the original Police Service Officers hired by our department.  He insisted on leaving quietly and didn’t want any form of ceremony.  We respected his wishes and celebrated in the Chief’s office.  Here are a few pictures from his last day followed by his biography.    

William Rivas was born and raised in Torrance CA.  He graduated high school in 1978 at which point he joined the United States Marine Corp where he served until he was honorably discharged in 1981.  He then went to work in the City of South Gate in the planning department.  He worked there until he was hired with the City of Hawthorne in 1985. 

During his 35-year career with the Hawthorne Police Department his assignments included PSO, Jailer and Front Desk.   Now that he will have the time, Rivas, his two adult children who are both enrolled in college and his wife of 28 years, plans to enjoy his well-earned retirement by traveling the country and visiting various national parks across the nation.  Rivas spent the most recent portion of his career as the first contact that many members of the public had with the department.  His calm demeanor and experience in this position will be greatly missed. 

 Bill you are already missed and we wish you the very best in your retirement!

COVID-19

During this pandemic, we had managed to remain unscathed until recently.  COVID-19 has struck many within the walls of our department. Fortunately, all of our employees have been able to recover without any issues!

With Dr. Joe Nakagawa in our ranks, we have had outstanding protocols in place from the onset of the pandemic.  Chief Ishii did not spare any costs to make sure that all of our employees had all of the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies needed to protect ourselves and our families. 

I have heard that many of you have been stricken with COVID but have been able to recover as well.  Please continue to stay safe and healthy!

HPOA Christmas Party

We had to cancel the annual Hawthorne Police Officers Association Christmas Party 2020 due to COVID.  It became apparent early on in the pandemic that the restrictions for gatherings would not be lifted before the holiday season so the decision was made to cancel the party for the health and safety of everyone.  Plan to join us next year though for an even bigger celebration!

Wishing all of you Happy Holidays and the very best in the coming New Year!!!

Unprecedented Times

For our former HPD employees and family, These last few months have challenged us like no other time in our HPD history. Going directly from COVID-19 to civil unrest and now a combination of both, our officers and support staff have been through one of the most intense and roughest of times in our professional (and personal) lives. And we see no end in the near future. 99% of my focus has been (and continues to be) "taking care of our employees". Keeping everyone focused, keeping morale up, and keeping everyone healthy. These are the things that I hope will carry us through this turbulent time.

During the peak of the civil unrest, we were on full tac-alert for seven days (12 on 12 off, entire department). We had HPD officers out in LA Fairfax area, Santa Monica, Long Beach, Culver City to protect their mall, Gardena, Manhattan, El Segundo, and other cities I can't remember. Those officers that were deployed to LA, Santa Monica, and Long Beach will have stories to tell for the rest of their careers! Air-55 flew daily and was met with universal praise from all of the South Bay departments for helping in preventing mass looting. Believe me, it was about to blow off. Criminals would travel in packs of cars and look for stores to hit. Air-55 helpied in pursuits from other cities, looters probing malls, etc. And for once, the beach cities were happy to see our helicopter! Fortunately Hawthorne was spared of any major looting. This is the one time it helped that we have an abandoned mall.

And now we have protests throughout town once or twice a week. They march in front of the station and close down Hawthorne Blvd and take up the entire area in front of the station. Our plan is to let them protest, have resources ready in the station, and not engage them. There is pressure at almost all cities to defund the police, remove SRO's from the schools, and eliminate SWAT teams (and the armored vehicles).

Thanks to Bob Fager's push for community policing in the last 10 years, I am hoping and counting on the relationships we built during those years to carry us through. It will be difficult. Internally, officers continue to push through and work through all of the pressure. I'm proud of them. As I said before, they represent HPD well. Our reputation remains stellar.

For all of our retirees that read this, I have a request to make for your consideration. The world that we operate in right now is unpredictable, unsettling, and on edge. We have active groups mining social media looking for any connection with police departments (including retired folks) with any hate speech or the denouncement of BLM. I have instructed all of our current employees to go dark on social media, meaning don't post anything that could be deemed offensive or racist. However you may feel about the current climate, I can tell you it is very different for us living in it daily. For the first time ever, we have kids of our employees that have expressed their support for the protests and have gone out to join protests. Our officers' family members have been harrassed for being associated with a cop. Many have had to delete long time "friends" from their social media. I have people that call me daily to probe my stance on police reform. These are people that are close associates to the PD. The officers are walking on eggshells, knowing that they could be the next one arrested and prosecuted for doing their jobs. I hated to do this, but I've had to block some of our retirees from sending emails to our city accounts due to the content. This is like no other time that you have experienced during your careers.

So, I ask that you watch what you post to each other,and if you can, not opine or send anything at all. Yes, you have free speech. It doesn't mean you have to use it everyday on something like this. You have a choice. I know this because a neighboring agency is currently under fire for what retirees were posting and saying on social media. Let's not put Hawthorne PD on the map for something like this.

I hope you understand.

It will probably be a while before I write back to you. Beyond the political turmoil and protests, (and a new City Manager) we have employees that are being directly affected by COVID-19. I am predicting it may get worse. Some employees have lost family members to the virus. We are doing whatever we can to keep our employees safe. This is a challenge that will not go away anytime soon. And I haven't even discussed the fiscal challenges facing us.

Despite the challenges, Hawthorne PD (and the city) still sits in a good place. This is built on the backs of all of you. We have five trainees on the road, two more in the Academy, and a bunch of motivated cops out there everyday doing a great job. This keeps all of us inspired and motivated.

Please take care of yourselves and your family.

Thanks! Ishii

Briefing before a BLM protest about to take place in front of our station. We had to brief outside due to social distancing protocol.

Dept Updates - Coronavirus crisis (Copy) for Former HPD

Running update as we work through this extraordinary time

(Old to New)

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March 7, 2020

Below are the latest updates and guidelines prepared by Dr. Joe Nakagawa. We are fortunate to have Officer Nakagawa with us to give the latest information grounded in experience, facts, and judgement directly from the medical field.

I will be working closely with staff and send updates as we get more information in the coming days. In the meantime, please follow the below guidelines. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions

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The current situation with the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak has reached a point where it has begun to affect all of us, both at home and in our professions. Whether it is the fear of infection, distrust of strangers, the effect on the economy, or simply the uncertainty, it has become very real for all of us in the last several weeks. Much of the information being broadcast or posted on the internet is incomplete at best and simply wrong at worst.

Here at the Hawthorne Police Department, we have been monitoring the situation closely and staying abreast of the latest developments. The safety and health of all of our colleagues and the public is our first and foremost concern. Rest assured that every effort will continue to be made to keep everyone and their families safe and healthy.

This memo will summarize the latest information we have from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Los Angeles Department of Public Health (LADPH), and the World Health Organization (WHO) as of 3/7/2020. Based on this information and current guidelines we will also discuss a plan for handling any potential impact on our organization.

The Coronavirus is a strain of a common virus we have been dealing with since we discovered viruses. It usually causes symptoms of a common cold: cough, congestion, fevers, body aches, etc. A new strain of this common virus began to spread in China and seemed to cause more severe symptoms than the usual Coronavirus. It is important to remember that the vast majority of people infected had the usual cold symptoms and nothing more. Unfortunately, in old people (over 70), or those with other medical problems, it caused severe pneumonia. Even the worst-case numbers suggest that in 30-39-year-old people, only 0.2% had severe symptoms. The risk of getting very sick is probably much lower than that in reality.

The virus is here in Los Angeles County and likely spreading in the community. It is no longer only contracted from people who travel from places with the infection like China, Iran, Northern Italy, etc. However, there have only been 164 cases in the entire country, 36 of those in people to travelled and brought it back. We should expect it to spread further though, and in all likelihood, some of us will probably get it. It is important to remember though; this virus is a strain of a common cold virus. It is concerning that it may cause more severe disease in some people but for most of it will not be very serious even if we do get it.

The virus is spread like the common cold: from droplets from sneezing or coughing and from picking it up from surfaces like doorknobs and phones. The virus gets into the nose or mouth and spreads from there. They typical symptoms are fevers, coughing, body aches, and headache 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. It is very difficult to tell the difference between COVID-19 and a cold or flu. It may cause shortness of breath.

Much like the common cold, there is no current treatment for the virus. The key is prevention:

o Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

o Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

o Stay home when you are sick.

o Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

o Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular cleaning spray or wipe.

o Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask. ▪ CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. ▪ Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others.

o Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. o If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based sanitizer of at least 60% alcohol.

The department has ordered large quantities of disinfecting wipes and alcohol hand sanitizers but due to the demand, the arrival date may be delayed. Until then we will use alternate sources and current stocks of supplies. Please periodically wipe down your workstations or vehicles and dispose of tissues, napkins, or other items which may be contaminated.

Our foremost concern is the safety of each employee and their families. We ask all of you to monitor yourselves and notify us immediately so that we can ensure that you are given the proper support from us. Anyone who has symptoms of fevers, coughing, shortness of breath, or just feels sick, is encouraged to let a supervisor know so that we can assess your risk of having the COVID-19 virus. Anyone who is sick should stay home to ensure that we are not spreading any infection around the workplace. Chief Ishii has agreed that during the next few weeks (and longer if necessary), employees will not be required to submit a doctor’s note if you or any family member is sick.

The spread of the virus in the United States is still in the early stages. We should expect to see more cases and likely hysteria related to COVID-19. We already are hearing of empty store shelves and long lines to buy water. This is completely irrational and makes the issue into a bigger problem than it needs to be. We encourage everyone to learn more about the virus from reliable sources like the CDC website and take reasonable measures to ensure their health. Links to these resources are included below. They are updated almost daily and are very helpful and written in simple, straightforward language.

Please contact a supervisor or myself directly if you have any questions or concerns at all. We are always available and will make every effort to answer your questions and keep you healthy. By working together and using common sense hygiene measures we will get through this obstacle like we always do.

Officer Joe Nakagawa, MD Medical Director Hawthorne Police Department jnakagawa@hawthorneca.gov

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March 12, 2020

For all PD Personnel,

I want to give everyone the latest update on how we are addressing the Coronavirus pandemic.

First, I want to assure everyone that your health and safety is my priority.  I will be working closely with Officer (Dr.) Nakagawa, and the leadership team to keep you informed as new information is available.  As you know, things are changing almost by the hour.   Workwise, we are now seeing large crowds at Target, Costco, etc..   So far, it’s been mostly traffic related but things may get more serious if supplies start to dwindle for longer periods.   I’ve asked staff to assess our basic supplies here at the station (water, toilet paper, hand sanitizers, etc.) and to do everything possible to acquire more so that we have the basic necessities here. 

On the City side, I am working closely with the Department Heads to keep everyone informed of any contingency plans at City Hall and PD.  We are in the process for the city to put in place an emergency contingency ordinance that, once approved by City Council, will help us in postponing/cancelling/reducing city events and some services until a later date. 

I will send updates as they come in.  Both Captains Lane and Tomatani will be the point person if you have any questions.  We are also working with our surrounding PD Command Staff on mutual aid responses (including Jails).  More info later from Captain Tomatani. 

As of today:

• The Baker to Vegas run is cancelled.  I know we were waiting for an official word from the organizers (they cancelled (the B2V boxing so far) but in light of the totality of what is going on, I want to limit any department organized events to absolutely necessary meetings.  My hunch is that the event will be cancelled at some point, but I wanted to get the info to all of the participants as soon as possible so that you can cancel or modify your travel accommodations.

• We will either cancel or limit group gatherings to limit exposure as best as we can.  As you read in a prior email, we postponed the promotion ceremony today along with the swearing in ceremony scheduled for next week.  We will continue to have Bureau meetings etc as needed.  I will work closely with your supervisors for the next few weeks as we navigate the changes in workflow.

• Payback training days for March will be postponed

• The Sergeant’s exam/interview will be postponed.  Notifications on the new dates will be sent out early next week. 

• For cite outs from the Jail – Please issue with a court date of 120 days.  For moving violations – Please issue with a court date of 120 days. Captain Tomatani will notify everyone when to return to the 60-day cite date.  The Courts have notified us that they may shut down certain courthouses if things escalate. 

• Suspend all ride-alongs, volunteers in the station, tours of the station, etc.

• Metro Unit:  suspend homeless contact/enforcement.  

• Patrol: 

• Watch Commander determine if we need to respond to certain Rescue calls. 

• Medical response calls involving someone that could be infected (let Fire handle unless they request us for an emergency)

• Response to elderly care facilities will be evaluated by dispatch and supervision and non-emergency calls will be handled by phone

I will be working with the Captains and staff for more detailed workflow changes as we head into next week.  Please email any one of us if you have any questions, suggestions, or issues.   

The most important thing is to make sure you stay home if you are sick.  Please notify your immediate supervisor if you are sick or have any questions about sick-leave. 

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

• Stay home when you are sick.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular cleaning spray or wipe.

• Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask. ▪ CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.

• Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

• If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based sanitizer of at least 60% alcohol.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience,

Ishii

---

March 14, 2020

For all PD Personnel,

Many friends and family of HPD showed up last night at the hospital.  I hope to reflect and share more later as we continue to honor Officer Chiarello's life.  As mentioned yesterday, we will escort her body from the hospital to the mortuary this afternoon.  Contact Captain Tomatani if you would like to join us.  No date is set for the memorial service but we will get that out to you once it is confirmed.

I put a few pictures (most taken by Lt. Yoshida) from last night on this link below.  This link is for PD employees only.  I will send out another separate link to all city employees later (they won't have access to our past PD news). 

Childcare:

With most schools closed for (at least) the next few weeks, I am aware and understand many of you will be affected with childcare issues.  I will work closely with your supervisors through the Captains on this issue.

For now:

• Contact your immediate supervisor if you will be affected by the school closures and need time off.  Based on your situation (every household will be different), we will do our best to allow time off, hours adjust etc. 

• Considering the current environment, the workplace is not the best place for your children.  Since first responders are at the frontlines (right behind healthcare workers) that have the potential of contracting coronavirus, we want to limit exposures as much as possible.  

• We are not set-up for "telecommuting", at least for now.

Again, we will assess on a daily basis and make any changes as needed.  Please contact your supervisors if you have any questions, issues, or concerns. 

Thank you for stepping up in these uncertain times. I will update everyone as new info comes in. 

Ishii

---

March 14, 2020

For all PD personnel,

Dr. Nakagawa, both Captains, and I met with the POA Board today to discuss the latest updates and what we anticipate occurring in the next few months.   As the coronavirus continues to spread in our community, it is important that we have a plan in place to address internal workflows (and how we take care of our own employees) and also how we plan to continue carrying out our public safety duties.

There will be significant changes in how we do business, and these changes will occur quickly.   I will do my best to communicate often and be available to address concerns you may have.   The changes are based on our efforts to limit contact with each other and to some extent, the community. 

I hope to have an emergency General Order completed sometime tomorrow.   As you read in the POA Board's email, we are working closely together to make sure we look after the safety of our employees as best as possible.  Limiting workflow will be an ongoing work in progress.   Changes will take into effect as soon as possible.  Patrol staffing changes will most likely take into effect on Saturday. 

As for our support Staff, I will communicate with the HMEA Board as we implement the changes.  It is important to have everyone's understanding of our intentions.   On the City side, City Hall will be closed to the public starting tomorrow.  Employees that want to take voluntary time off will be able to do so.

I want to close by making sure that if you are experiencing hardship at home due to the changes (schools closed, etc.), let your supervisor know as soon as possible.  Also, things may get a bit stressful (especially if you are watching the news constantly) with all of the information out there.  Two resources are here for you:  Dr. Nakagawa and Peer Support.  Reach out to them anytime. 

More updates soon.  Stay safe,  

Ishii

---

March 16, 2020 (from the HPOA Board)

Good Afternoon HPOA,

This morning the HPOA Board met with our Chief, Captains, and Medical Director to discuss the Corona virus, its risk to us, and how best to address this pandemic within our organization and beyond. First and foremost are the safety and wellbeing of us and our families so please take the precautionary measures, as we always should, to protect ourselves from any illnesses.

By nature of our work, it is expected and only a matter of time that one of us, if not several of us, will contract the virus. Protocols are being discussed on how best to handle this situation when it occurs. Additionally, the Administrative staff is working with the surrounding agencies to discuss and come up with regional protocols should the need arise. This includes looking at our workflow, how we are currently conducting our business, and what adjustments should be made to limit our exposure. However please be cognizant of not compromising your Officer Safety as this is paramount to anything else.

Be prepared to adjust to changes such as modified work schedules, reallocation of resources, partnering with neighboring agencies, and the possibility of deploying Lincoln cars vs. Adam cars temporarily to avoid unnecessary exposure, should the need arise.

The Administrative staff is also working diligently to put together exposure protection kits for us to use in specific circumstances. The supplies in the kits are extremely limited due to the current high demand of PPE so please exercise discretion and use the forthcoming recommendations on when to deploy this equipment. We do not know if the supplies can or will be refilled.

Here are a few reminders on good workplace practices:

In following suit with federal and state recommendations we are echoing the sentiment of limiting group gatherings and practice social distancing. This includes limiting contact with the community whenever possible. The department is in support of this in these unusual times.

If you feel sick, please stay home to avoid getting others sick. It is recommended you stay home for 14 days or for 3 days after your illness has subsided. Personal sick time should be used unless you have been specifically ordered by the City to stay home (this will be reviewed on a case by case basis). We all have the personal responsibility to avoid getting others sick so self-reporting of this is very important. The department’s personnel resources are greatly dependent on all of us to police ourselves when it comes to our health.

Clean after yourselves and sanitize your work vehicles and equipment often and as necessary. Do this at least before and after your shift and more if possible.

Please understand this is new and uncharted territory for all of us so as issues arise we will work closely with the Administrative staff to work through them and get through this.

Specific and ongoing directives will be coming from the Administration so please stay tuned for further information. If you have any issues or questions please contact a Board representative.

Stay safe and Best Regards,

HPOA Board:

Chris Komathy – President

Steve Colquette – Vice President

The Vu – Secretary

Gus Rubio – Treasurer

Chris Port – Director

Michael Matson – Director

Kenneth Craig – Director

Jesus Ceniceros – Director

Matthew Lucero – Director​

---

March 20, 2020

"I'm asymptomatic. I could walk down the street (and) if it wasn't public knowledge that I was sick, you wouldn't know it.  I think that's the scariest part about this virus, is that you may seem fine, be fine and you never know who you may be talking to or who they're going home to."

Donovan Mitchell, NBA player, Utah Jazz.

***

To all PD Personnel, 

The situation we are in is just that.  We are preparing and adjusting to something we cannot see or detect, for now.  I'm assuming that if we were to test every employee right now for the coronavirus, there may be several that already have it but show no symptoms.  This is the challenge we face.  Or at least one of the challenges.

As you can see what's been happening in our community, tensions may very well rise.  People will be losing their jobs, rent will not be paid, and long lines may continue at stores.  Add kids full time cramped in an apartment or house.   I hope we can show compassion and empathy out there.  There is potential for things to get out of hand quickly.  We must be ready.

And I am grateful that we can all still provide for our families during these uncertain times even though the job is dangerous and demanding.  

I am also thinking about our employee's safety.  What if many people get infected?  How about child care issues?  Do we have enough protective gear for everyone?  Do we have the right strategy and plans in place?  This is my responsibility and the Captains and I will do our best to make sure we address everyone's needs and concerns. 

The General Order will take into effect this Saturday.  It is attached to this email.  Sworn assigned to Patrol must pick a new shift.  We will start first thing Wed morning.  

All of this may seem like an overreaction.  Let's hope it is.  Someone once told me, sometimes an overreaction is just that, until it's not....

I will keep you updated as new info develops.

Thank you for your cooperation.  HPD's foundation is built around great people that are tough, resilient, humble, and at ease.  It's our culture and identity.  Glad to be here with you.

Be safe,

Ishii

General Order

General Order #2

---

March 21, 2020

For all PD Personnel,

I want to give everyone a quick update.

Org Change

Today is the start of the new organizational change for the next month.  We will be reviewing this daily and adjust as the days go on.  Feedback is key.  If you have ideas, concerns, or just feedback, let us know as soon as possible.  The more information we have, the better informed we will be to make adjustments.  Thanks in advance. 

As the directive from the State, City, and County changed on Friday, the City Manager has made the decision to close City Hall for the next two weeks.  I have conference calls scheduled on Monday to discuss a more long-term plan if the closure goes longer than two weeks. 

With the new directives, we have also made the decision to reduce our support staff for the next two weeks.  This includes Admin staff (both on the Admin side and the DB/SOB side), Traffic (office staff), Forensics, CAB civilian staff, Animal control,  and reducing Records staff to minimums.  I will work closely with our Captains and Lieutenants on the details.  All of them should have been notified by their Supervisors this afternoon.  Jail, and Property will continue for now, but we will evaluate possible reduced scheduling.  Not sure yet. 

Misc.

• HPD Gym is closed until further notice.

• Captain Tomatani sent out the new sick leave protocol a few days ago.  Following this is extremely important for all of the reasons you already know. 

• We took inventory and have a good idea on the protective supplies we have in stock now.  We have large orders of gloves and wipes ordered and we hope to get them asap.  Not much luck on masks but we will continue to search and get them ordered asap. 

Working on:

We need to have all officers keep a running notebook on who you came in contact with on a daily basis (employees and family, not contacts in the community).  This will help in the "contact tracing" process that can help us quickly if someone gets diagnosed with COVID-19.  Team policing helps.  But keeping track individually will help us be proactive.  More to follow on this but start if you can.

Department wide conference call.   I was just on one this morning with Cal Chiefs (over 400 people on the call listening) so I know it can be done.  I just have to figure it out first....

By the way, one the things they mentioned on the conference call today was that the state was processing over 9,900 gun transactions in a day....

***

Officer Nakagawa is currently in touch with 11 of our employees that are out sick.  None seem to be serious at this time.  Having Dr. Joe here is a huge relief and a major asset for us.  I appreciate his dedication and help. 

This afternoon, I received this email from Sgt. Elliott:

...earlier today I was contacted by Alex Higareda who works at California Sports & Spine Center located at 4477 W. 118th St #502 who wanted to donate PPE to HPD from their medical office.  We gratefully responded to their business where they gave us two boxes of surgical masks (50 count each) and one gallon of Isopropyl Alcohol.   They added that they would be sending us several empty spray bottles to dispense the Isopropyl Alcohol, and additional bottles of hand sanitizer.   Alex Higareda’s phone number is 805 236-7199. The doctor of this practice is Reekesh R. Patel MD. His phone number is 909 965-2953.

I am grateful that we have people in our community thinking about you and your safety. 

To conclude, I wrote a message to the community yesterday and it's out on our website and social media.  Please click the link below to read, especially the comments from our community.  Very supportive of HPD. 

Be safe,

Ishii

https://www.facebook.com/hawthornepolice/posts/10158037006369659?__tn__=K-R

---

March 23, 2020 (by Captain Gary Tomatani)

Good afternoon,

As we’re all aware by this point, the situation with the COVID-19 virus changes every day.  Here are some updates on where we stand right now.

1.       Personal Protective Gear

a.       N95 Masks (distribution to staff will begin today, Monday, March 23)

• SpaceX has donated N95 masks to the Department

• HPD picked up additional N95 masks from Sheriffs EOB

• N95 masks are in limited quantity (please follow disinfecting instructions posted in the range to make each mask last as long as possible)

b.       Eye protection for staff arrived at the station today (distribution to staff will begin today, Monday, March 23)

c.       Hand sanitizer – distributed throughout the station

d.       Gloves – we have enough on hand to last roughly one week.  Orders for additional have been placed.

e.       Donated items – Lt. Romero is collecting the information on any private entities that are donating PPE items to the Department (so far, we have SpaceX, Amazon, a medical office, and a couple of other businesses I can’t recall off the top of my head).  If you receive anything, please make sure Lt. Romero knows what it was and who it came from. 

2.       Field Operations

a.       RCC is asking additional screening questions related to COVID-19 (does anyone there have a fever, cough, travelled within the last 21 days, etc.).  This information should be in the call text, or if RCC was unable to obtain the information, that should be in the call as well (uncooperative RP).

b.       Wear eye protection all the times

c.       Wear gloves at all times

•    Remove gloves after public contact and PRIOR to getting back in your car

•    Use hand sanitizer if available before re-entering your car

d.       Refrain from TACMED interventions except on HPD staff

e.       Ask parties to step outside for contact when possible

f.        Check the welfare calls – if patrol supervisor wants a response, and there are indications of a medical issue, officers must wear goggles, masks, and gloves

g.       Continue to monitor shopping areas and mobile camera trailers

3.       Disinfecting Vehicles

a.       Continue to clean your cars at the beginning / end of your shifts

b.       Mr. Zaragosa (the gent who normally washes our Department cars) is coming twice daily (five days / week).

•    Once mid-day to disinfect INTERIOR of night shift units

•    Once after 1800 hours to disinfect INTERIOR of day shift units

•    Do NOT assume every car has been disinfected.  We must do so ourselves at the beginning and ending of each of our shifts

4.       Cleaning Station (Range)

a.       The range has been set up as a cleaning station for any personnel coming into the station after having been 10-8 in the field.

b.       At a minimum, wash your hands in the range before entering the station

c.       If necessary, disinfect PPE (N95 masks, googles, etc.) in the range following instructions posted there

d.       Sgt. Murray to demonstrate how to disinfect PPE (masks and goggles) during patrol briefings

5.       Work Schedules

a.       All personnel (sworn and professional) still reporting, have been placed on 3/12 work schedules

b.       Part time staff, and some full time professional staff have been sent home until further notice

c.       Sick / Self Isolation List

• All staff (off work as a result of sick leave or self isolation) must report twice each day to Dr./Off. Nakagawa, and report symptoms (or if you’re feeling fine)

• Take temperature twice a day, and record it (Dr./Off. Nakagawa will need this information)

• Email Capt. Lane, Dr./Off. Nakagawa, and myself, if you are out of town for any reason, PRIOR to returning back to work so that the necessity for isolation can be determined

6.       Communication

a.       Internal – most staff have been issued a work cell phone.  It is important that you monitor your phone for information.  Email is the easiest way to communication with the organization at this time.  Check your messages and email on a regular basis (several times a day, even if on your day off).  The current situation is not “business as usual,” and personal notifications are not always going to be possible.

b.       External – RCC is receiving a large number of reports of individuals who are violating the County Health Department’s orders.  If we need to respond on these types of complaints, communication is the best way to handle the situation.  We do not need to be arresting high numbers of people for violating a Health Department mandate. 

7.       Courtesy

a.       RCC has formally asked that agencies cease sending care packages over to their facility out of concerns of contamination

b.       RCC has asked that visits to RCC cease unless required for business purposes

Be safe

GT

Gary Tomatani,, Captain, Administrative Division

---

Department Updates March 26, 2020

For all PD Personnel,

I want to give everyone an update on the things we’ve been working on.   

Safety Equipment/Cleaning

Thanks to several generous donors and efforts by staff, we acquired around 1200 masks, over 500 goggles/glasses, gloves, hand sanitizers, and other protective equipment.  All of you should have these now to use.  We will continue to work on getting more.  Contact either LTs Mitchell, Port, Sgt. Murray, or Dr. Nakagawa if you need more.  As mentioned in previous messages, Enrique during the day and at night the ladies from KP Janitorial are cleaning/disinfecting the station during the week.  Also our carwash person Juan is here during the week to clean and disinfect the cars twice a day.

Many of you have to share keyboards/mouse in Report writing, Jail, etc.  We trust you are cleaning them.  But in order to make this one less thing for you to think about, I have asked our IT department to provide anyone that wants one, a wireless keyboard and mouse for you to use only.  Just plug in the USB wireless antenna in the front of the computer and you are ready to go.  This applies to only officers/support staff that do not have their own workstations (sorry DB/SOB/CAB/TRAFFIC/ADMIN).  If you would like one, send an email to:  helpdesk@hawthorneca.gov .   We need to place the order so reply asap to give Josh Armstrong an idea of how many we need. 

I know you do not need reminding but following our sick out protocol is super important.  Dr. Nakagawa is available by phone/email if you have any questions.  He is also busy working to get COVID-19 test kits for us to use. 

Employee Wellness

After getting great feedback from several of you about the importance of physical fitness and suggestions on continuing to do so at the station (the gym itself is closed), I want to make sure we do what we can to accommodate this without sacrificing all of the health safety measures we are doing.  So, here is what we are working on now.  

• We will clear a few parking spots near the DB cars and put several free weight stations out there.  Detective's Gus Rubio and Tommy Kang will help Darnell Wallace in getting this set up properly. 

• Many of you do personal/group trainings outside of work with Trainers.  They work to help you.  We should try and help them now.  I’ve asked Captain Tomatani to coordinate a few of our trainers come and set up small group CrossFit type sessions here at the station (parking area, ramps, up by the swat garage, etc.).  Officer Andrea Godoy will help with setting these up also.  The class/sessions will be free to any HPD interested.  The Dept. will cover the costs for the trainer.  More info soon as we work on setting this up. Contact them if you have any questions.

More

• We have partnered with http://www.mydrpaul.com/hydration-therapy after I was introduced to them from Redondo PD Chief Kauffman.  I want you to have all of the advantages we can provide.  So, we have agreed to have them come to the station and give any employee a free Vitamin B-12 shot.  This is completely optional.  HPD will cover the costs.  I have scheduled one tomorrow late afternoon and one early next week to give all employees access.   Captain Eric Lane will coordinate

• There is a board in the kitchen that has current numbers to peer support, helpful tips, and other useful information.  Check it out the next time you are in the kitchen. 

Misc.

The new norm:  remote conference calls.  HPD is using Zoom exclusively.  You can download the app on your phone or computer.  If you register, use your work email (jdoe@cityofhawthorne.org).

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zoom-cloud-meetings/id546505307

Thank you

There may be less people in the community, however judging by the calls you are responding to (and the few I went on), they are just as challenging, and probably more so now.  Everyone in DB/SOB/TRAFFIC/CAB have all stepped up and are doing a great job supporting patrol and being engaged with our businesses and community.  Supervisors have been super-engaged in all of their responsibilities and are “wearing multiple hats”, doing a great job in keeping us focused on the tasks at hand.  All of our support staff have been doing an outstanding job working hard to keep us functioning.  This only works if we have great employees doing a great job.  This is what a professional organization looks like.   

Please know that Gary, Eric, and I are engaged in this 100%.  I believe the plan and strategy in place is sound.  Feedback from you will help us as things change daily.  At this point, we take it day-by-day.  We are all in this together. 

Be safe,

Ishii

---

Department Updates April 2nd, 2020

For all PD Personnel,

I want to give everyone a quick update since my last message.

Safety Equipment/Cleaning/PPE Use

I have directed all Supervisors to be engaged with every employee they are responsible for to make sure we are all on the same page as it relates to everyone's health status.  One of the things many agencies are doing that we have not implemented here yet is a daily temperature reading of everyone.  We would but we don't have the equipment for this yet. In the meantime, you know yourself best.  Any cough, fever, upset stomach, anything;  we need to get that info to Dr. Nakagawa. 

As of today, we have secured 80 COVID-19 test kits (50 from the Doctor's office that is doing the B12 shots and Dr. Nakagawa was able to secure 30 through his connects at Torrance Memorial).  Special thanks to Redondo PD for allocating the 50 for us (they were originally ordered for Redondo).  Dr. Nakagawa will oversee the testing process. 

Once in contact with Dr. Nakagawa, the protocol is for the employee to check in with him at least twice a day.  I strongly encourage you to use Facetime so that he can better assess your condition.  Phone call would be next.  I do not recommend text.   So far, we have tested two employees for COVID-19.  We are awaiting results for one and the other was negative.  The symptoms are very minor. 

I have also asked the Supervisors to oversee the increase usage of our PPE.  Masks are coming in slowly, but we want you to start using them more.  Gloves should be worn every time you get out of the car for a call.  Details will be given by your supervisor.  Sgt. Murray and Capt. Lane will continue to monitor and make sure the equipment is properly used and distributed. 

The downstairs report writing room is now reconfigured so that everyone now has an individual workstation.    There are four workstations downstairs now with enough spacing between everyone.  Do not use the original report writing room if there is more than one person.  I want to thank our IT Staff (Josh, Peggy, PJ, George, and Darnell) for working hard in getting us remote access and additional equipment and doing all of the set up not only here at the PD, but also at City Hall and RCC. 

Employee Wellness

First, I need to publicly apologize to Darnell for making him order the rubber mats for the proposed mini gym that we were going to put outside.  The mats will be here in a day or so.  However, after getting more feedback and further reflection, I have decided to re-open the gym to all employees.  The rules are for only two people at time.  Sgt. Shimono was nice enough to create a sign-up folder which is placed outside the door.  There is no limit but be respectful of others and let's make this work for everyone.  Please read Detective Rubio's earlier email regarding self-policing and keeping the gym clean and safe.   Enjoy your workouts! 

We are still moving ahead with the plan to have Trainers here doing classes outdoors in the parking/ramp/patio area.  Captain Tomatani and Officer Godoy are still working out the details. 

B12 Shots

The B12 shots were very popular!  58 of you took advantage of this.  I have asked them to come back this week for another round of shots.  You can do it again.  Also, a quick reminder that this is open to all PD employees, not just sworn so please take advantage of this.  They will be here again this Friday and next Monday from 1600 to 1800 in the EOC room. 

Scheduling for Support Staff

We will be extending the work at home status for our current Support staff for an additional two weeks.  Captain Tomatani is working on the details with the Bureau leaders and will have the new schedule ready before the weekend.  IT will continue to help get the proper equipment and connections for the employees.  Some will return to work (p/t Parking and Animal Control).  As we enter April, I want to make sure we continue to have our employees' safety as our top priority.

***

As I've said in prior messages, we take this one day at a time.  We've done what we can to minimize our risk.  We are focused on our task at hand.  If we can do more, let us know. 

Thank you and be safe,

Ishii

---

COMMUNITY MESSAGE FROM THE POLICE CHIEF (Copy)

PDF File

COMMUNITY MESSAGE FROM THE POLICE CHIEF

For our Hawthorne Community,

These past few weeks have been tough for everyone.  From economic uncertainty, school closings, scrambling for childcare, trying to take in all of the information on how to avoid the Coronavirus pandemic, I am sure this has been an extremely trying and stressful time for many in our community.  It is unlike anything we have experienced in recent memory. 

Here at HPD, we have been working around the clock preparing and planning for the changes in how we do business.  Things are rapidly changing, sometimes by the hour.  We have to be quick in responding to the challenges in keeping our community safe. 

We have made changes in our organization by reassessing resources and adjusting to the current and future needs for our community.   

Protecting our Businesses

We have reassigned officers to patrol the shopping centers, grocery stores, and small businesses where there are long lines of people waiting to shop.  We have deployed additional camera trailers in high-traffic areas to allow supervisors real-time video access to these areas.  Officers in specialized units have been in touch with store managers and owners to make sure we can quickly respond to any problems or issues.  K9 Officers have been doing security checks at many businesses throughout the city. 

If you are a business owner in Hawthorne, as part of the “Hawthorne Safe Business” initiative, we encourage you to keep in touch with us through email at hpdweb@hawthorneCA.gov  Lieutenant Joel Romero of the Special Operations Bureau will be overseeing this unit to make sure you have a direct contact for us as we work together through this challenging time. 

Caring for our Seniors/Safety for students

The Community Affairs Bureau spent this week contacting people from the Memorial Center senior citizens center.   HPD staff will conduct phone and email-based welfare checks throughout the upcoming weeks.  Although school is out, many students are coming on campus for lunches.  Our School Resource Officers will do their best to be around as much as possible.

We compiled a list of resources for our senior citizens which can be found at the endof this message.  We hope this will help during these trying times.  Questions?  Email us at hpdweb@hawthorneCA.gov 

Parking Enforcement

Following the guidelines from the City of Los Angeles, we have also suspended issuing citations for the following violations:

• Street sweeping (sweeper will still be in service)

• Peak traffic on the major streets

• Permit parking

We will continue to enforce other parking violations (i.e. handicap violations, red zones, fire hydrants, etc.) to maintain order and safety.  If you are not sure, be on the safe side and obey the signs.  We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. 

Protecting our First Responders

The care and safety of our employees is our #1 priority.   They continue to do their jobs and are working hard in keeping the community safe. However, as is the nature of the job,  they are coming into contact with many people which increases their chance of being exposed to COVID-19. 

We have adjusted the organizational structure of our department in the span of just a few days.  We are now connecting remotely, using various software for teleconferences, and adjusting to the new norm of staying away from each other (social distancing).   Detectives and Administrative staff are all in uniform ready to respond to and assist our patrol officers. 

One of our priorities is to have enough supply of protective equipment (gloves, masks, hand sanitizers, etc.) for the front-line officers.  This has been a challenge as the country is in severe shortage of supplies.  We will continue to find these items to keep our officers protected. 

Partnerships

All of the Police Departments in the South Bay work well and often together.  The ability to share resources, exchange ideas, and work together as a team is a top priority for all of the Chiefs.  We communicate daily with the Police Departments from Culver City, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Palos Verdes, Torrance, Gardena, and Inglewood.  We also work closely with CHP and the LA County Sheriffs.  Leadership at LAPD has been a great resource and partner to all of us.  LA County Fire is also a trusted partner in serving our city. 

Through these long-standing partnerships, we have plans in place to help and support each other as needs arise.

***

I am extremely proud of our team.  Our IT staff have worked around the clock to prepare our agency with the necessary tools to communicate and function.  The support staff (from our Admin folks supporting our front-line officers, the cleaning crew, Records staff, Forensics unit, Property officer, Desk officers, Community officers), they have all been here working tirelessly to keep the place running.  Without them, we would not be able to perform our mission of keeping you safe. 

The Officers have families at home, and many are facing the same challenges like everyone else.  I appreciate their dedication and sacrifice to doing their jobs.  It is what makes HPD a special place.  Great people working together to serve and help our community. 

I will keep you informed as news develops in the upcoming weeks.  I know things are getting tough for many of you.    If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email us at hpdweb@hawhhorneca.gov.

Sincerely,

Michael Ishii

Chief of Police

March 20, 2020

---

Senior Citizen Assistance List

Emergency Services:

• EMERGENCY 911                        

• Police and Fire Dispatch Center                                                                 310-675-4444

• Hawthorne Police Department Desk                                                         310-349-2700

Information resources:

• Focal Point on Aging                                    https://www.torranceca.gov/home/showdocument?id=52641

• Center For Disease Control (Covid-19)     https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

• LA Country Covid-19 Information              http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/coronavirus/

• LA County Dept Mental Health                  https://dmh.lacounty.gov/         

Urgent Care:

• Lawndale Urgent Care                    16818 Hawthorne Bl, Lawndale                310-542-0800

• Bayside Medical Clinic                    2301 w El Segundo Bl, Hawthorne           323-757-2118     24/7 service

• Torrance Memorial Urgent Care   22411 Hawthorne Bl, Torrance                 310-784-3740

• Concentra Urgent Care                  390 N PCH Ste 1000, El Segundo              310-640-9911                    

Hospitals:

• Centinela hospital                            555 E Hardy St, Inglewood                       310-673-4660

• Gardena Memorial hospital         1145 W Redondo Bch Bl                               310-532-4200

• Little Company of Mary                 4101 Torrance Bl, Torrance                         310-540-7676

• Torrance Memorial                         2841 Lomita Bl, Torrance                            310-325-9110    

Groceries:

• Superior Market (Haw Bl / El Segundo Bl)              senior hours: Every day from 7am -8am

• Ralph’s Market (Haw Bl / 118th St)                            senior hours: Every day 7a – 7:30a  Controlled access

• Northgate Market (Rosecrans Ave / Prairie Ave)  Unknown

• Food For Less (Oceangate / Rosecrans Ave)          Unknown

• Target (120th St / Crenshaw Bl)                                 senior hours: Wednesday 8a – 9a

Food Delivery:

• Hawthorne Meals on Wheels                      310-412-4380               (waiting list at this time)

• Ralph’s Market (through Instacart)           www.instacart.com

• Post Mates                                                         www.postmates.com  (restaurant delivery service)

• Door Dash                                                           www.doordash.com   (restaurant delivery service)

Pharmacies:

• CVS                        Hawthorne Bl / 118th St                                 310-679-3668

• CVS                        Rosecrans Ave / Inglewood Ave                 310-263-7330

• CVS                        Rosecrans Ave / Prairie Ave                         310-675-0359

• CVS                        Inside Target (120/Crenshaw)                    323-492-1001

• Walgreens          Hawthorne Bl / 120th St                                 310-349-0130

• Walgreens          Rosecrans Ave / Prairie Ave                         310-978-9167

Transportation Services:

• South Bay Yellow Cab                                                                     866-400-4103

• Bell Cab                                                                                                                800-999-9977

• Uber                                                                                                      www.uber.com

• Lyft                                                                                                        www.lyft.com

Additional Senior Services:

• American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)                866-448-3615     www.aarp.com

• Veteran’s Affairs                                                                              844-698-2311