concerns of police survivors - cops-nor cal chapter · page 4 - norcal c.o.p.s. newsletter/fall...

Vol. 7, Number 4 Fall 2013

Northern California C.O.P.S. Chapter

A 501(c)3 non-profit organization - #68-0459342

P.O. Box 4133, Mountain View, CA 94043

Concerns of Police Survivors

This newsletter has been made possible by a grant from the California Peace Officers Memorial Foundation. We thank CPOMF for their very generous support.

www.norcalcops.org

In This IssueContact Information ....................2From the Board/Donors ..............3Chapter Calendar .......................4Events & Announcements ..........5Kids/Teens Page.........................6Agencies & Co-Workers .............7Chapter News/Recaps.......... 8-10In the Line of Duty ....................11Fallen Heroes Memorials..........11

Like us at: Northern California Concerns of Police Survivors

Holiday Fun for Survivors of All Ages: NorCal C.O.P.S. Christmas Party

Survivors of all ages are warmly invited to come celebrate the season at our Annual Christmas Party. This year’s holiday festivities will be held on Saturday, December 7 at the California Highway Patrol Academy in West Sacramento, beginning at 11am.

This free family event offers something for every-one. There will be arts and crafts, appetizers, a deli-cious catered luncheon, and a special visit from Santa

Claus himself! Most importantly, all of us will have a chance to relax for a few hours during the busy holiday season, catching up with old friends and making new ones...who understand just how difficult the holiday sea-son can sometimes be when you are missing your loved one.

RSVPs are essential to ensure accurate counts for food (and also for Santa’s bag!), so please contact Stephanie Miller by December 1st at [email protected] or by calling (209)747-4492.

Christmas PartySaturday, December 7

11:00am - 1:00pmCHP Academy 3500 Reed Ave.

West Sacramento, CA 95605

RSVP by December 1st [email protected] or

(209)747-4492

Project Blue Light: Let Your Blue Lights Shine for Law Enforcement During the HolidaysThe idea began in 1989 when survivor Mrs. Dolly Craig wrote to C.O.P.S. that she would be putting two blue candles

in her living room window that holiday season, one in memory of her son-in-law Daniel Gleason (Philadephia PD/ EOW 6/5/86), the other in memory of her daughter and his wife who had been killed in a car accident in August 1989. Danny and Pam had 6 children. Mrs. Craig is now deceased as well, but her idea is her legacy. Project Blue Light now burns bright in the hearts of nearly 30,000 law enforcement survivors during the holiday season.

C.O.P.S. adopted this idea as a way that everyone could honor the officers who serve and protect us while also remembering those who have been killed in the line of duty. The concept is simple: place a single blue light in your window in memory of fallen officers. The color blue is also a symbol of peace, so when you display blue lights, you’ll be sending a message of support to our peacekeepers and a message of hope that the coming year will be a time of peace.(Source: National C.O.P.S. website)

PRESIDENTTami McMillan

[email protected]

Sister of:Officer Rich May

East Palo Alto Police Dept.EOW: January 7, 2006

SECRETARYStephanie Miller

[email protected]

Wife of:Officer John P. Miller

California Highway PatrolEOW: November 16, 2007

VICE PRESIDENTSusan Moody

[email protected]

Wife of:Officer Bradley MoodyRichmond Police Dept.EOW: October 4, 2008

TREASURERTondria Sanders

[email protected]

Wife of:Officer Joseph Sanders

California Highway PatrolEOW: December 15, 2008

IMMEDIATEPAST PRESIDENT

Sandy [email protected]

650-207-1030Mother of:

Officer Jeffrey FontanaSan Jose Police Dept.

EOW: October 28, 2001

NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Michelle [email protected]

707-689-3098Wife of:

Lieutenant Mike WalkerCalifornia Highway PatrolEOW: December 31, 2005

MISSION STATEMENT Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. provides resources to assist in the rebuilding of the lives of surviving families and affected co-workers of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty as determined by Federal criteria. Furthermore, C.O.P.S. provides training to law enforcement agencies on survivor victimization issues and educates the public of the need to support the law enforcement profession and its survivors. C.O.P.S. is a non-profit tax exempt organization.

LAW ENFORCEMENT LIAISON

Officer Jeffrey Dick San Mateo PD (Ret.)

[email protected] or [email protected]

408-807-3831

NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTIONSWe want to hear from you! If you have some-

thing to share with your C.O.P.S. family (a photo, an event honoring your fallen hero, a special way of remembering your officer, thoughts about how C.O.P.S. has helped your family, etc.) please submit it to be published in a future newsletter. We welcome contributions for the Kids/Teens Page too!

Please e-mail your item to the Newsletter Editor, Michelle Walker at [email protected].

If you are one of the many C.O.P.S. Facebook users, be sure to “like” our page, Northern California Concerns of Police Survivors. The page administrator, Greg Fontana, will post events, last-minute updates, and photos for all to enjoy.

- NorCal C.O.P.S. Newsletter/Fall 2013

MAILING LISTS/ADDRESS CORRECTIONIf you have an e-mail address and do not

already receive e-mails from NorCal C.O.P.S., please join our e-mail list by sending a request to [email protected].

If you have a change or correction to your mailing address or would like to have your name, department, or POA added to our mail-ing list to receive future issues of this newsletter, please contact our Chapter Secretary at [email protected].

Chapter Contact Information


Deputy Tony Aguerre San Francisco Sheriff’s Dept.

[email protected]


Officer Michael Stolzman Oakland Police Dept. [email protected]

707-689-3830

From The Board

Sincerely,Tami McMillanPresident, NorCal C.O.P.S.

Thank You For Supporting NorCal C.O.P.S.!

As a non-profit, NorCal C.O.P.S. relies on donations of cash, goods, and services from individuals, POAs, and other organizations. We gratefully acknowledge the generous cash and/or in-kind contributions made by the following donors:• San Jose Police Officers*• San Mateo Police Officers*• San Mateo PD Capt. Susan Manheimer• Oakland Police Officers Association• Clapp, Moroney, Bellagamba,

Vucinich & Scheley Professional Law Corporation

• CE Management (Heroes Behind the Badge Fundraiser)

• Jeff Mitchell Wiffle-Ball Tournament• Cindy & Dan Christensen• Eli & Mae Roen Foundation• Anthony Aguerre**• Tondria Sanders**• Nicole Romans**• San Andreas CHP Squad Club #255**• John & Darla Bruce**• Robin Gist**• Alan Waltz**• Michelle Arriaga**• Pete Bryne & Joanne Fitzpatrick**• Scott Yox**• Michelle Walker**• Tracy & Kathy Haley**• Glen & Hope Schuetz**• Kim & Greg Wakida**• Daniel & Sonja Johnston**• Heather & Adam Duvall**• Giovanni & Christa Trinchera**• Stephen Walker & Graciela Beck**• Mr. & Mrs. Will & Mary Tonn**• Juliet Blake**• Stephanie Miller**• Rico & Linda Bianchi**• P.O.R.A.C. Bay Area Chapter**• Rich May Foundation**

* - payroll deduction participants** - NorCal C.O.P.S. Walk-A-Thon

sponsor

President’s MessageWe are entering one of the most difficult times of the year. The holi-

day season is especially hard when you have to celebrate without your father, mother, son, daughter, spouse, sibling, in-law, co-worker or sig-nificant other. I encourage you to reach out to one another and remem-ber the happy times with your officer.

Helping survivors connect with each other is a big part of our chap-ter’s mission. We encourage you to come and meet other survivors to share experiences, struggles and successes. In December, we are having our annual Christmas Party at the CHP Academy in Sacramento. Then, in February, we are holding our Meeting & Valentine’s Social in the Chico area. Our chapter’s geographic area is large, but we are commit-ted to reaching out to all survivors and helping them find healing through their C.O.P.S. relationships. In some cases, we can even help offset travel expenses for survivors who must travel a significant distance to attend our events. Please contact me or any Board member to get more details about how we can help you be able to participate in our events.

This September I attended my seventh Annual Sibling’s Retreat. As happens at each retreat, I was reminded of the strength that we, as survivors, must have every day. The strength to get up and face the day, the strength to accept what can’t be changed, and most importantly, the strength to understand that everyone grieves differently and no one person is more important than another.

The relationship you have with your officer is totally unique, and is different from every other person’s relationship with their officer. For one person to assume that their relationship was more important than yours suggests that the person still has a lot of healing to do. Grieving and rebuilding your life is not a competition...it is a very individual journey. When you begin to focus on yourself and the things that are important to you is when you stop competing with those outside of you and start heal-ing from within.

I have come across survivors who have shut people out because they believe that no one understands them or what they are going through. It is not a matter of completely understanding what another person is going through; rather, it is a matter of accepting that someone feels differently than you and respecting that what they feel is ok too. C.O.P.S. strives to help LODD survivors find support from others with similar, though not identical, experiences.

May peace be with you through these next couple of months and may all of the first responders and members of the military be safe and come home to their families.

NorCal C.O.P.S. Newsletter/Fall 2013 -


Upcoming Events & FundraisersCHAPTER CALENDAR

December 7: Christmas Party CHP Academy, 3500 Reed Ave. West Sacramento, CA 95605

Day-of-Event Contact: Stephanie Miller (209)747-4492 (Details on Page 1)

Looking Ahead to 2014

February 8: General Meeting & Valentine’s Day Social Chico Fire Dept. Training Center

1466 Humboldt Road - Chico, CA 95928 10:00-11:30 : General Meeting

11:30-2:00: Lunch & Valentine Making (Details on Page 5)

February 22-23: C.O.P.S. Walk Southwest Phoenix, AZ

(Details on Page 5)

April 12: General Meeting & Memorial Planning Oakland Police Officer’s Association

555 5th Street, Oakland 94607 11:30-12:30: Lunch

12:30-2:00: Meeting & Memorial Planning

May 4-5: California Peace Officers Memorial Events Sacramento, CA

May 10: CPOA Memorial Run/Walk & BBQ Pleasanton, CA

May 11-17: National Police Week Events Washington, D.C.

June 28: Summer Picnic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, CA

Free Programs For All Survivors

National C.O.P.S. offers a series of annual “Hands-On” programs for all categories of survivors:

• Spouses Retreat• Parents Retreat• Siblings Retreat• Kids Camp• Outward Bound for Teens• Adult Children’s Retreat• Fiancees/Significant Others

Retreat• In-Laws Retreat• Affected Co-Workers RetreatThese programs offer support

and encouragement from peers and trained counselors. Most im-portantly, they help survivors de-velop relationships with other sur-vivors that can help them rebuild their shattered lives.

Most retreats are four days long, held over a weekend; Kids Camp and Outward Bound for Teens are week-long programs. There is no fee to attend these retreats; the only expense is transportation to/from the designated airport.

Financial assistance for expens-es incurred in traveling to Hands-On Programs is available to Nor-Cal survivors through the Chapter. Please contact a Board member for more information about obtain-ing financial assistance.

When 2014 dates are set, they will be listed in this section of the newsletter.

For further information or to check for 2014 dates, please visit www.nationalcops.org or call the National C.O.P.S. Office at (573)346-4911. MARK YOUR CALENDAR!


Upcoming Events

YOU ARE INVITED TO THE

NOR CAL C.O.P.S.VALENTINE’S SOCIAL & GENERAL MEETING

FEBRUARY 8, 201410:00-11:30: General Meeting

11:30 - 2:00: Lunch & Valentine MakingLOCATION:

Chico Fire Department Training Center1466 Humboldt Road - Chico, CA 95928

A special group rate of $90/night* has been arranged at:Oxford Suites Hotel - 2035 Business Lane, Chico, CA 95928

Reservations: (800)870-7848 or (530)899-9090 or www.oxfordsuiteschico.com• *Reference “C.O.P.S.” when making your reservation to receive the group rate• Full hot buffet breakfast & evening reception included• *To help offset expenses for survivors traveling 60+ miles, the Board has authorized hotel reimbursement of

$100/night for one or two nights at this hotel. To obtain reimbursement after the meeting, please submit a reimbursement form and a copy of your hotel receipt to a Board member.

Christmas PartySaturday, December 7

11:00am - 1:00pmCHP Academy-3500 Reed Ave. West Sacramento, CA 95605

RSVP by December 1st [email protected] or (209)747-4492

3rd AnnualCOPS WALK SOUTHWEST

2 days - 25 milesFebruary 22-23, 2014

Phoenix, AZ

Join survivors, friends, and the law en-forcement community to support C.O.P.S. Hands-On Programs. For details and reg-istration forms, visit www.nationalcops.org and click on the “Fundraising Events” tab.

Kids/Teens Page


C.O.P.S. Kids Camp: July 29 - August 4, East Troy, WI

Six of the seven NorCal C.O.P.S. families who attended Kids Camp in East Troy, WI July 29 - August 4, 2013. Kids Camp is free to all attendees, who are only responsible for getting themselves to/from the Milwaukee airport. (Photos courtesy of Crystal Mitchell, Stephanie Miller, and Susan Moody.)

Outward Bound® Wilderness Adventure for C.O.P.S. Teens

In late July, seven NorCal C.O.P.S. surviving spouses and their nine children headed to the Salvation Army Lake Camp in East Troy, WI for a full week of fun and healing with more than 200 other survivors. All campers enjoyed plenty of fun traditional camp activities, along with daily age-appropriate group therapy sessions led by professional couselors.

C.O.P.S. Kids Camp is something many kids eagerly look for-ward to each year. Four-time camper Chandler Miller (age 10) said, “Kids Camp is fun. The best thing was the Shark that was pulled behind the boat. I like camp because I get to meet new friends because of my dad.”

The same week Kids Camp is run for surviving children (ages 6-14) and a parent/guardian, surviving teens (ages 15-20) can participate in a just-for-C.O.P.S. Outward Bound® adventure. The 2013 program featured a mountain climbing trip starting from Leadville, CO. Although no NorCal teens attended this year’s program, Amanda Walker (age 17) partici-pated in the 2011 and 2012 backpacking and whitewater rafting adven-tures. She looks forward to going again in 2014 and says, “Outward Bound is an amazing program designed to help teen survivors grow in self-confidence and leadership. My experiences have helped me become a stronger leader and more confident in decisions I make every day. Through Outward Bound, I did things I never thought I could do, and now I don’t let ‘the impossible’ hold me back.”

In her 2012 whitewater rafting trip, Amanda Walker made many new friends, including C.O.P.S. Mentor Jo-nah Stemen, a surviving Adult Child who lost his father in 1994, attended Kids Camp and Outward Bound, and now gives back to C.O.P.S. as a mentor.

Especially for Agencies & Co-Workers


National C.O.P.S. Presents “The Traumas of Law Enforcement” Free 3-Day Training Program Comes to Northern California

National C.O.P.S. is bringing its highly-regarded “The Traumas of Law En-forcement” training program to Dublin, CA on January 27-29, 2014.

This program is provided free of charge, but pre-registration by December 30, 2013 is mandatory. If you are in need of overnight accomoda-tions, National C.O.P.S. has made arrangements for a group rate at the Hyatt Place in Dublin.

Each year, National C.O.P.S. educates America’s law enforcement agen-cies on how to appropriately respond to officers and their families affected by line-of-duty traumas through “The Traumas of Law Enforcement” trainings. The Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Dept. of Justice has provided funding for the 2014 “Traumas of Law Enforcement” trainings.

Certified instructors will present vitally-important information regarding appropriate response to line-of-duty death, disability, critical incidents, and police suicide. Some of the same issues that affect survivors come into play for officers with disabilities and those coping with trauma. C.O.P.S. recognizes the importance of helping agenicies provide appropriate support for survivors (including affected co-workers), and injured or traumatized officers.

Curriculum topics include: The Myths of Law Enforcment, Police Victimiza-tion, Research Findings From Agencies & Survivors, Death Notification Proce-dures, Support Services to Surviving Families, Agency Preparation, Benefits, C.O.P.S. Programs, Co-Worker Issues & The Traumatized Officer, Police Suicide, Disability Issues, and Personal Triumphs.

This training is appropriate for Chiefs, Superintendents, Sheriffs, Chap-lains, Co-Workers, Planning & Research Personnel, Training/Continuing Education Personnel, Employee Assistance Personnel, Liaison Officers, Spe-cial Operations Divisions, Victims Assistance Personnel, Survivors, and Law Enforcement Spouses.

For additional information or registration materials, please go to www.nationalcops.org and click on the blue “Traumas of Law Enforcement” tab on the left side. You can download registration materials or register online. You many also contact National C.O.P.S. by calling (573)346-4911.

Traumas Of Law Enforcment Training Program

When is it? January 27-29, 2014

(Monday - Wednesday)

Where is it? Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Office of Homeland Security &

Emergency Services 4985 Broder Blvd.,

Dublin 94568

Does it cost anything? No, it is free but pre-registration by December 30, 2013 is mandatory

Is there a hotel available? A group rate of $99/night (plus 8% tax

and $2 city tax) is available at: Hyatt Place Dublin/Pleasanton

4950 Hacienda Dr. Dublin, CA 94568

(877)574-7233 or (925)828-9006 Group Code: “G-COPS”

How do I RSVP? Via National C.O.P.S.at

www.nationalcops.org or by calling them at (573)346-4911

What is the registration deadline? December 30, 2013

NorCal C.O.P.S. gives a warm “thank you” to San Ramon Police Department and the officers who came out to support our Annual NorCal Walk-A-Thon at San Ramon Central Park on October 12. All survivors, especially the children, appreciate having law enforcement officers come to our events.

Thank You For Supporting C.O.P.S.!We Would Like to Meet You!

Is your agency or POA familiar with Concerns of Police Survivors? Would you be prepared in the event of a line of duty death? Would you like to help by organizing a fundraiser or memorial event, but you’re not sure how?

Our Board members are available to make pre-sentations or meet with your organization to answer these or other questions you may have.

Please contact Tami McMillan, Chapter President by calling (650)255-5721 or via email at [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in and sup-port of all survivors through NorCal C.O.P.S.!

News & Information


Hands-On Program was “Life-Changing”Michelle, Chris, and Mike Soto were teenagers in 1994

when their beloved father Oakland Police Officer Miguel Soto was killed in the line of duty. A few years ago, the Soto children discovered C.O.P.S., and they have since been grateful for the support of fellow survivors. Recently, they attended their first Adult Children’s Retreat, one of the “hands-on” programs offered by National C.O.P.S. Upon returning, they shared their experience:

“June 22, 1994 changed our lives forever. From that point forward, that date was always one of the saddest, toughest days to deal with every year. Who knew nine-teen years later we would find peace and healing attend-ing our first Adult Children’s Retreat on that same date.

We were extremely nervous before we arrived, not knowing what to expect or what would even come from this weekend. Once we arrived the outpouring of support, understanding and love immediately put our nerves at ease. It was the most amazing feeling to connect with those that have walked the same path on our survivor journey. We made friends we will keep in touch forever and even though a year may go by before we see them again it will be as if no time has passed.

We want to thank C.O.P.S from the bottom of our hearts for making it possible for us to be a part of the Adult Chil-dren’s Retreat this year and the Washington D.C. trip last year. In these past two years we can truly say we have healed more than in the previous 17 years. Two words to sum this trip up, LIFE CHANGING!”

We encourage all survivors to attend the “Hands-On Programs” offered by National C.O.P.S. Whether it has been several months or several years since your loss, healing can be found through shared experiences and support of fellow survivors. When 2014 dates are set, they will be listed in this newsletter and on the National C.O.P.S. website: www.nationalcops.org.

NorCal Survivor’s Winning DesignSurviving spouse Lydia Warner Miller (William Warner,

Sacramento Police Dept. EOW 6/1/81) has found solace and healing through creative endeavors, including poetry and her collection of “Heaven’s Beat Art”, which depicts fallen heroes as angels who watch over their survivors.

Earlier this year, Ms. Warner Miller was contacted by the Officer Down Memorial Page (www.odmp.org), the online memorial website, who asked her if she would come up with a design for them to use on their annual t-shirt, patch, and challenge coin. They allowed her to create her own design. At the time, she was traveling, but an image came into her mind of “lines of officers standing as a protective guard over a newly-fallen officer, as he looks sadly at his boots and the flag from his burial.” She was later informed that ODMP had chosen her work for its 2013 t-shirt, patch and challenge coin.

Of her design, Ms. Warner-Miller said, “That design and all my designs are inspired by my and everyone else’s loss and our pain, and I try to show how great the loss of an officer is to the whole LE community -- officers, agencies, and family members.”

NorCal C.O.P.S. congratulates Lydia Warner Miller for having her design chosen by ODMP!

NorCal C.O.P.S. surviving spouse Lydia Warner Miller’s design appears on the Officer Down Memorial Page’s 2013 TShirt (left), challenge coin (right), and patch (not shown).

At the all-California C.O.P.S. Chapters planning meeting held on October 26 in Kingsburg, CA, the California Peace Officers Memorial Foundation presented each of the three California C.O.P.S. chapters with a $4,000 donation. These donations represented additional amounts over and above the amount previously donated to the chapters by the CPOMF.

On behalf of all NorCal survivors, we extend a grateful “thank you” to CPOMF for their generous and consistent support of NorCal C.O.P.S.!

CPOMF Makes Additional Donations to California C.O.P.S. Chapters

The CPOMF is updating its database of survivor contact information to ensure that survivors receive timely notice of special events and other important information. Please contact Michelle

Mendoza at CPOMF to verify your address by sending an email to [email protected].

News & Information


Code 3 Wines and the Chief’s Reserve label were created as the ideal blend of one law enforcement couple’s passion for great wine, public safety profes-sions, and honoring fallen heroes.

Retired LEO Matt Rubin comes from a family with four generations of service in both police and fire departments. His grandfather, father, and son have all served with California fire departments; Matt himself served in both fire and police departments for 27 years. His wife, Jackie, also has nearly 30 years of experience in law enforcement.

During his career, Matt experienced the tragic pain of a line of duty death when his co-worker Richmond Police Officer Leonard Garcia was killed on December 28, 1992. That experience had a profound effect on Matt, creating a strong desire within him to honor fallen heroes and help their survivors.

After retiring, Matt pursued his passion for great wine by working at two of the most prestigious Napa Valley wineries, Cakebread Cellars and Silver Oak Cellars. It was there that his idea for Code 3 Wines and the Chief’s Reserve label was born. This project provided an opportunity to create a delicious prod-uct that could also be a tool to raise awareness and funds for select charities.

NorCal C.O.P.S. is grateful to have been selected as one of the beneficiaries of Code 3 Wines and Chief’s Reserve support, as a portion of sales will be donated to our organization.

For more information, please contact Code 3 Wines via Facebook, (“Code 3 Wines”), email ([email protected]) or visit www.chiefsreserveswines.com.

NorCal Walk-A-Thon Recap

Code 3 Wines & Chief’s Reserve: “Making Wine for America’s Heroes”

Code 3 Wines created a police and fire version of its Chief’s Reserve label to honor and support both of these vital public safety services.

Left, Matt Rubin offers Chardonnay tasting at a February 2012 NorCal C.O.P.S. fundraiser. Above, the police label for Chief’s Reserve.

About fifty survivors and supporters came out on October 12 to raise funds and honor fallen officers. It was a beautiful fall day, and San Ra-mon Central Park offered a nice, flat walking trail, picnic facilities, and a children’s playground. Once again, the surviving family members of Oak-land Police Officer Miguel Soto (EOW 6/22/94) prepared a delicious BBQ lunch. Walkers raised more than $3,500 for NorCal C.O.P.S.!

NorCal C.O.P.S. thanks everyone who contributed to the success of this event: all participants, event coordinator Susan Moody, Tami McMillan, Jeff Dick, the entire Soto family, the San Ramon Police Department, and all sponsors (see Page 2 for complete list).

The Annual NorCal C.O.P.S. Walk-A-Thon was a big success this year, as more than 50 survivors, friends, and law enforcement supporters honored the memory of fallen officers and raised funds for our Chapter’s pro-grams. In the photo above, participants are holding memorial signs made to honor many of the fallen officers from Northern California. (Photos courtesy of Linda Williams Bianchi and Mike Soto.)


Board Activities/Event RecapsSpreading the Word About C.O.P.S.

NorCal C.O.P.S. is committed to “being there” for agencies and familes in the event of a line of duty death...before, during, and after the tragedy occurs. In keeping with that goal, Board members made several agency pre-sentations over the past months:

• On September 4, Sandy Fontana met with a group of San Mateo PD officers about C.O.P.S. She showed them a DVD about C.O.P.S. programs and explained how a small monthly donation through a payroll deduc-tion program would assist many survivors, included affected co-workers.

• On September 30, Stephanie Miller attended a “Below 100” officer safety training program in Castro Valley. She had an information booth, and spoke to the trainees about her experience as a survivor and about C.O.P.S.

• On October 8, Tami McMillan attended the Bay Area PORAC meeting in El Cerrito and introduced C.O.P.S. to those present.

• On October 10, Tami McMillan and Jeff Dick introduced C.O.P.S. to those attending the quarterly meeting of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 17. (See photo below.)

• November 4-6, Tami McMillan and Jeff Dick attended COPSWEST, the annual conference hosted by Cali-fornia Police Officers Association (CPOA). They were joined by representatives of the two other California C.O.P.S. chapters, and met with many local area com-manders. Tami McMillan also addressed the member-ship, and accepted an $8,000 check, representing proceeds from the May 2013 CPOA Run To Remember.

Award Received at Chapter TrainingNational C.O.P.S. holds an Annual Board & Chapter

Training workshop each summer to ensure that the entire organization is working together in the best interests of survivors. Each chapter is required to send representatives to this mandatory training.

NorCal President Tami McMillan and Law Enforcement Liaison Jeff Dick attended the July 2013 Training on behalf of our chapter. They learned much about developing and running a strong, healthy COPS chapter. NorCal C.O.P.S. also received the National C.O.P.S. Silver Circle Award (photo below), presented to chapters donating $5,000-$9,999 to National C.O.P.S. in a fiscal year.

NorCal C.O.P.S. President Tami McMillan (center) and LE Liaison Jeff Dick (right) are joined by Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 17 Presi-dent Michael “Woz” Wozniak (left) at the October 10 meeting. (Photo courtesy of Jeff Dick.)

Wiffle Ball Tournament A Sell-OutThe 6th Annual Jeff Mitchell Wiffle Ball Tournament was

a “smashing” success, with all team slots filled for the Sep-tember 22 event. It was a beautiful day, perfect for some intense, fun competition among the three-person teams.For the second year, this tournament will be donating a portion of its proceeds to NorCal C.O.P.S. On behalf of all NorCal survivors, we thank the Mitchell family and event organizers (pictured below) for their continued support of NorCal C.O.P.S.!

WANTED: MEMORIAL

INFORMATIONTo further honor fallen

heroes, we include remembrances for past-year officers of NorCal survivors. Photos of signs, parks, benches, gardens, quilts, or any other memorial item are welcome.

If you have a photo of a memorial item to share in a future issue, please e-mail it to Michelle Walker at [email protected].

If applicable, please include its location (city, highway, park, etc.), dedi-cation date (if available), and other comments you wish to share about it.

We Will Never Forget..

Officer Robert Joseph CoulterCalifornia Highway PatrolEnd of Watch: 11/2/2003

It is not length of life, but

depth of life.Ralph Waldo

Emerson


California - In the Line of Duty - 2013

Memorials are for Remembering

Officer Kevin TonnGalt Police DepartmentEOW: January 15, 2013

Officer Michael CrainRiverside Police Department

EOW: February 7, 2013

Detective Jeremiah MacKaySan Bernardino County

Sheriff’s Department EOW: February 12, 2013

Sgt. Loran “Butch” BakerSanta Cruz Police Dept.EOW: February 26, 2013

Detective Elizabeth ButlerSanta Cruz Police Dept.EOW: February 26, 2013

Sergeant Gilbert CortezCalifornia Department of

Corrections & RehabilitationEOW: March 25, 2013

On March 7, 2013, two memorial signs on Interstate 5 (one in each direction) were dedicated in memory of Red Bluff Police Officer David Mobilio, EOW Nov. 19, 2002. Officer Mobilio was shot in an ambush when he stopped

at the department’s fueling station.

The group pictured above includes members of the Red Bluff Police Department to the far left; under the sign

(l. to r.) are Linda Mobilio-Keeling, Chief Paul Nanfito, Laurie Mobilio, Lynne Mobilio, and Richard Mobilio.

(Photo courtesy of Laurie Mobilio)

Officer Jon CoutchieLaguna Beach Police Dept.EOW: September 21, 2013

Concerns of Police Survivors PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PAIDPleasanton, Ca.Permit No. 396

DEPARTMENTS: Please Post

Northern California C.O.P.S. Chapter

P.O. Box 4133, Mountain View, CA 94043

concerns of police survivors - cops-nor cal chapter · page 4 - norcal c.o.p.s. newsletter/fall...

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