Backing Blue - October 2017

$12,216 raised to assist hurricane victims

In late August, the City of Houston was hit with Hurricane Harvey, a category 4 hurricane that left the city devastated. The death toll from Hurricane Harvey was hovering at approximately 70, and the property damage was expected to be in the billions. Mutual aid has poured into Houston from all over the country.

Oftentimes, smaller cities get overshadowed and mutual aid is slow to surface. Rose City, Texas, is an extremely small city of approximately 600 residents. With that in mind, and with the heart to assist our brother and sister officers in surrounding towns of Houston, Motor Sergeant Jon Aufdemberg, South Traffic Division (STD), reached out to determine which agency was in dire need of immediate assistance. Captain Jon Tom, Commanding Officer, STD, organized a group of LAPD officers and headed to Rose City Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department in Texas to assist those agencies. When they started on this journey, they weren’t looking for any recognition or accolades. In fact, they discussed as a group that they purposely didn’t want to draw attention to what they were doing. They simply had the heart to serve others. The LAPD cadre, called the LAPD Houston Area Relief Team (HART), purchased groceries, generators, radios, gas cans, cleaning supplies, chairs and other supplies for Rose City Police Department, which is comprised of the mayor, a secretary and three city marshals. Their town hall/police station was under 4 feet of water, and they lost all their police vehicles except for one, and all their radios. Their uniforms and boots have been ruined by the constant rescues and work in and around flooded areas.

I would like to thank the following officers for their selflessness in the quest to assist the law enforcement agencies and the residents of Rose City and Jefferson County. A special thanks to Reserve Officers Bernard Khalili and Eric Ortiz, as the trip wouldn’t have been possible
without them.

Captain II Jon Tom, Commanding Officer South Traffic Division
Sergeant John Aufdenberg, STD CSOC
Detective II Ryan Moreno, STD
Motor Officer PII+II Rudy Baca, STD
Motor Officer PII+II Steven Griffith, STD CSOC
Police Officer II Jesus Arreguin, STD
Reserve Officer Bernard Khalili, Major Crimes Division
Reserve Police Officer Eric Ortiz, West Traffic Division, and his son, Kevin Ortiz.

This was a team effort, and this trip was made possible thanks to donations by officers assigned to South Traffic Division, Operations–South Bureau and Harbor Division. Every officer on this trip paid his own way, and all of the money raised went to the victims in the Houston area.

It should be noted that the majority of donations received for this relief effort were made by Reserve Officers Khalili and Ortiz and the following employee organizations:

• Law Enforcement Alliance of Asian Pacifics
• National Asian Peace Officers’ Association
• National Association of Asian American Law Enforcement Executives
• Oscar Joel Bryant Association (African Americans in law enforcement)
• Los Angeles Women Police Officers and Associates
• LALEY (Latin American Law Enforcement Association)
• Los Angeles Police Protective League
• LAPD Command Officers Association
• National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives

LAPPL Hurricane Harvey fundraising drive
In addition, in early September, the League launched a weeklong fundraising drive on LAPD.com and social media urging members to donate to the Assist the Officer’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, and including the note “LAPD” in the comment box of the donation page. The Board of Directors had agreed to match all donations made during that week with that note, up to $5,000 in total donations. We’re happy to report that in one week, our members raised $3,520, or $7,040 including the League’s matching donation. Thank you to all who gave toward this campaign. The first responders in Houston who lost cars and homes to the hurricane will find some relief thanks to your generous giving.

If there is ever anything I can do to better support you, do not hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected] or call me at (213) 545-4903. Be safe.