Please join us in welcoming Pualani (PK) Erickson to our department. PK will be serving as an intern in our Records and Evidence Division to help cover the duties of some staff vacancies. PK is a student at Clear Lake High School and will graduate at the end of this school year and plans to attend college.

This week our administration learned that officers were dispatched to a “suspicious vehicle” call. Officers responded and found that the vehicle, a pick-up truck with a loaded trailer attached, had broken down and was in a spot on a busy roadway creating a possible hazard for the occupants as well as other motorists. Officers further found that the vehicle and its contents contained all of the family’s possessions and that they did not have resources to fix or move the vehicle to a safe location. In order to mitigate the situation and help the family, Officer Juan Altamirano used his own resources, not those of the agency, to have the vehicle towed to a safe location while further arrangements could be made. Any other action at the time could have placed the family in jeopardy of losing their vehicle and possessions. While reviewing Officer Altamirano’s action in this incident it also came to light that this was not the only time he had taken this type of action. We found that several months ago, Officer Altamirano had located a stranded elderly motorist with a broken-down vehicle for whom he purchased food and water to assist the individual. These kinds of actions are above and beyond the call of duty. Officer Altamirano is commended for his compassion, empathy, respect and dedication to our duty of making the community a better place. These gestures of kindness are not all that uncommon with police officers. We often do not find out about these acts because officers do not do them to be recognized but rather out of kindness to assist a fellow human being.

The Lake County Health Consortium has donated $6,800 to the Lakeport Police Department for the purchase of defibrillator (AED) units to be used in its vehicles. Police officers are often the first arrivals at emergency scenes. “Having these units in police vehicles will greatly enhance our ability to save lives,” according to Brad Rasmussen, Chief of Police. He expressed appreciation to the leadership and staff of Tribal Health for the service they provide to our community.

Katie Morfin is being welcomed to the Lakeport Police Department as its newest police trainee. She is a lifelong resident of the community who previously worked as a Lake County Probation Officer. She will spend the next year in general department training, the police academy and in-field training on the street. Katie comes from a law enforcement family and is excited to continue her career with the LPD. She will be introduced at the City Council meeting on January 19.