Presidents’ Message – Summer 2021

As we write this, the new plaque at Elysian Park Academy in honor of Reserve Officer Stuart S. Taira is scheduled to be rededicated on June 26, with members of Officer Taira’s family, Chief of Police Michel Moore and Assistant Chief Beatrice Girmala in attendance. Next to the plaque will be a granite stone honoring the thousands of reserve police officers and police volunteers who have served the City of Los Angeles over the last century. The special day will also include valuable CPT training.

The Reserve Appreciation Month display in the lobby of PAB  this year is a welcome sign of normalcy. Traditionally, the Department honors reserve officers during April. Thank you to several who made the special effort, including our Secretary Ryan Cassidy, who also serves on the Board of Directors at the Los Angeles Police Museum. Police Officer Johnny Gil helped build the exhibit on his day off. Reserve Officer and past LAPRF President Mel Kennedy has been the steward of many Reserve Academy class guidons; their addition to the display brought more history, color and gravitas to this year’s appreciation of the Corps.

We have added a Tourniquet Initiative to the LAPRF pantheon of programs! LAPRF purchased Sam Browne-worn tourniquets, so that they are available when seconds might decide life or death. The initial rollout went to officers working the field and in high-risk details. Thank you to Officer Kennedy for managing the distribution. The BDU Grant Initiative reimbursed 78 officers, providing this wash-and-wear utility uniform during the pandemic. The Legal Defense Plan Initiative is now in its fourth year; 61 requested partial reimbursement in 2021. More exciting news: A Reserve Officer of the Year ribbon was approved by the Department’s Uniform Committee. LAPRF is working to help create this ribbon, once again with the help of Officer Gil. Congratulations to our 2021 Scholarship Initiative recipients, Joseph Alegre, Emily Martinez and Sarah Stephens, all children of reserve officers. If your career has been impacted by the pandemic and you need to retrain, consider this initiative as a resource to apply for next year!

We want to thank several of our reserve officers who have participated in their respective companies’ philanthropic programs, donating funds to support their fellow officers through the Foundation. Thank you, Officers Ali Bashar, Shing Hwong and Steve Hong, for going above and beyond in this effort.

Expecting to be able to go back to pre-COVID-style gatherings, we have planned the Twice a Citizen Gala for Saturday, September 18, 2021, at the Skirball Cultural Center. Save the date! Our hosts will be Chief Michel Moore, Bosch’s Amy Aquino and Tim Conway Jr. Our community honorees will be philanthropist and Los Angeles Police Commissioner Steve Soboroff and Shemar Moore from the TV series SWAT.

Thank you to the command staff and the Reserve Unit for their continued support of the reserve program. Thank you to reserve coordinators throughout the Department for everything you do for our reserve officers. Thank you to our LAPD reserve police officers and your families who do so much. The Foundation remains here to serve you who serve in the Reserve Corps. Be safe.