Message From the Co-Presidents of the Reserve Foundation
It was a pleasure to once again honor our brave and dedicated Los Angeles reserve police officers at the Twice a Citizen Gala at the Skirball Cultural Center on May 6, recognizing nominees for Officer of the Year and those who have reached length-of-service milestones.
Congratulations to Department Reserve Police Officer of the Year John McCarthy, Robbery-Homicide Division, and to Dennis Zine for 55 years of service, full-time and reserve combined.
Thank you to Chief of Police Michel Moore for your continued support and commitment to the reserve program and for co-hosting the Gala, along with Araksya Karapetyan, host of Fox 11’s Good Day LA, and Mark Thompson, host of KFI radio and The New Mark Thompson Show podcast.
We are grateful for our community leaders honored during the evening: Norman Nixon, the former NBA superstar who won two NBA championships with the L.A. Lakers; Debbie Allen, who has won five Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards and a Golden Globe Award and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; and Drs. Uri and Myna Herscher, who were instrumental in establishing the Skirball Cultural Center as a welcoming place inspired by the American democratic ideals of freedom and equality. After retirement, the Herschers stayed active in a variety
of ventures and causes outside of the Skirball that bring hope and healing to many.
We also presented retired Reserve Police Officers David Bush and Eric Rose with the very special Andrea Friedman Award for their respective service that has gone above and beyond in the LAPD Reserve Corps, spanning decades.
The Los Angeles Police Reserve Foundation continues to support those who serve with our ongoing initiatives, including training (this past year reimbursing essential in-service training at the Annual Reserve Peace Officers Conference, held in August 2022), equipment, recruitment, scholarships, reimbursement of the Los Angeles Police Protective League’s Legal Defense Plan, financial hardship and bereavement assistance, and, of course, sponsorship of the Gala. A portion of the proceeds from the event will fund the new wound-packing kit initiative, a vital tool that can save an officer’s life.
Thank you, Commander Billy Brockway, Department Reserve Coordinator, and the entire Command Staff for your leadership. We thank the Reserve Unit downtown and reserve coordinators Department-wide for your continued support. Finally, congratulations to Sergeant Cornel Sandoz, Officer in Charge of the Reserve Unit, on your upcoming retirement, and we welcome Sergeant Johnny Johnson to fill this leadership role.
The event could not have happened without our events coordinator, Scherr Lillico, and the team at Proper Image Events.
On behalf of the Los Angeles Police Reserve Foundation Board of Directors, we hope you enjoyed the evening. Be safe.