Huntington Beach Police Community Foundation

The HBPCF is now accepting applications for the 2021 Jake Olson "Courage" Scholarship. All high school seniors attending school or living within the City of Huntington Beach are eligible. The deadline to submit your application is Friday, 2/26/21. All entries must be submitted electronically. Four scholarships in the amount of $1000 will be awarded. To learn more about this opportunity, please click on the link below for more information and to learn about Jake Olson and his incredible story: https://www.hbpcf.org/scholarship #pursueyourdreams #courage #youcandothis #educationissuccess

Such a tragedy....Please keep Deputy Gibson’s family and the SCSO family in your thoughts and prayers.

Huntington Beach Police and Community Foundation President, John Karla Etheridge, presenting our friend, Stuart Thomas, with a small token of appreciation for all of his support for the Foundation and our mission of making Huntington Beach a safer place to live, work and play. Thank you for your continued support Stuart!

One of the many great reasons the Huntington Beach Police and Community Foundation exists, helping our officers help our community. Thank you to all of our police officers, PD employees, and their families who sacrificed during the Christmas holiday working long shifts to keep us safe while we all celebrated with our families.

Picking up some steaks and saw this sign of support in the window, thank you Beef Palace for your support of our officers! These signs make great holiday gifts, get yours today on our website www.HBPCF.org

Happy and busy elves wrapping all the gifts for the kids #shopwithacop #happyelves

HBPD Shop with a Cop is underway here at Target. Our thanks to everyone who makes this event possible: Tony and Rhonda Nobles, HBPOA, Woody’s, Market Broiler, Target, all the volunteers and family members. This event is so special!! #shopwithacop, #merrymerry

As you think about #GivingTuesday, please consider supporting the Huntington Beach Police and Community Foundation (HBPCF). Our mission is to support the men and women of the HBPD and the programs they offer, which help improve the quality of life in HB. The graphic below shows how your donations are spent. There is no better time than now to support our local police department. Check out our website for more information or to donate: https://www.hbpcf.org

More from HBPD on Shop with a Cop. We are very proud to be an integral part of this annual program.

Thank you to the A Team, Anita Glasser and Keller Williams for your continued support of the Huntington Beach Police and Community Foundation!

Thank you Team Title for your continued support of the Huntington Beach Police and Community Foundation!

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD DETECTIVE DAVE HUMPHREYS Detective Dave Humphreys has dedicated over three decades of service to the law enforcement profession. Starting his career in the City of Stanton in 1979, Dave eventually came to Huntington Beach were he worked as a motorcycle officer, DARE officer, and has spent the past 15 years as a detective. Over the last two years, Dave has spearheaded the Legacy Project, which ensures our fallen officers and K-9 are never forgotten.... He led a team of current and retired officers and professional staff to design and install the Legacy Wall in the Huntington Beach Police Department Lobby. Dave has escorted the surviving spouse of fallen officer Leslie Prince to the National Fallen Officer Memorial in Washington, D.C. for the past two years, and is fighting to get another fallen officer recognized for his sacrifice. Detective Humphreys is the foundation of the Economic Crimes Unit, where he is a galvanizing force for his team. He has mentored a steady stream of new detectives and has an incredible work ethic. Dave often times is the last to leave and still works his cases with enthusiasm and passion. Detective Dave Humphreys’ 41 years of dedication is the epitome of the Distinguished Service Award. #backtheblue #dadtoeveryone #detectivelife

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE DETECTIVE PAT ELLIS Detective Patrick Ellis recently retired from the Huntington Beach Police Department after 30 years in law enforcement. Detective Ellis was assigned to the Crimes Against Persons Unit, working Robbery/Homicide, and was assigned to the Investigation Division for the past 18 years. His prior experience includes Patrol, Directed Enforcement Team, and Beach Detail. Pat is a tenacious investigator, with great compassion and empathy for t...he families of the victims he encounters. Pat left our department with a great deal of historical knowledge and a passion for solving all crimes, including cold case homicides. Detective Ellis brought a fresh perspective to looking at old cases and is highly respected by his coworkers and members of the District Attorney’s Office. In 2019, a double homicide case was finally brought to a close with the conviction of a suspect, after the case was cold for 26 years. Detective Ellis worked on this case along with his team, which sent them to Colorado to eventually arrest the suspect. He has also been involved in numerous other critical murder cases. Detective Ellis’ dedication to the Huntington Beach community will be missed. We wish him luck in his retirement. #distinguishedservice #servingwithhonor #backtheblue #detectivelife

AWARD OF MERIT OFFICER RYAN CHRISTIE Officer Ryan Christie has worked for the Huntington Beach Police Department for five years and assigned as a School Resource Officer (SRO). He is responsible for several school campuses across the city. Officer Christie carries on a family tradition of public service at the Huntington Beach Police Department, following in the footsteps of his parents, retired Detective Bob Christie, and his mom Julie, who is a longtime employee of the dep...artment. The position of School Resource Officer is a challenging position, balancing the law and school policies, while staying compassionate and empathetic to the unique needs of students and parents. Officer Christie excels in all of these areas developing a solid reputation of respect and credibility with school staff and students alike. Officer Christie has the best interest of everyone involved when he takes on challenging and sensitive investigations involving minors, while working with detectives and school officials. In addition to his regular assignment, Officer Christie is an advisor in the HBPD Search and Rescue Program, where he a role model for young men and women seeking a career in law enforcement. He also organizes and participates in many off duty functions, including the Free Rein Program, Reins of Success, Fishing Derby, and Special Olympics. Thank you for your service and congratulations Officer Ryan Christie. #bluefamily #searchandrescue #specialolympics

AWARD OF MERIT SERGEANT BRAD SMITH Sergeant Brad Smith has been a dedicated member of the Huntington Beach Police Department since 2000. In 2019, he promoted to sergeant and is currently one of the Downtown Special Enforcement Team supervisors. Brad has always been involved in community-based programs including the Citizens Academy and organizing our local Tip A Cop Special Olympic fundraiser, which has led the state in fundraising. ... Since 2013, Brad had been a pioneer in the Know Your Limit campaign, which allows bar patrons to take an alcohol screening test to understand the effects of alcohol on their body. This program fosters a positive learning interaction between police and participants. In addition to leading this program for Huntington Beach, Brad has trained officers from over 50 police agencies across California, who come to our city to learn this program. Recently, Brad formed a new partnership between Waymakers and the Downtown Business District to provide additional training and sponsor more Know Your Limits operations. Congratulations Sergeant Brad Smith on your 2019 Award of Merit. #tipacop #specialolympics #knowyourlimit

SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR SERGEANT SAM SHEPHERD Sergeant Sam Shepherd started his career with the Huntington Beach Police Department in 1999. In 2012, he promoted to sergeant and his assignments have included Patrol, Traffic, Beach Detail and Narcotics. Sam was described in his nomination as a straight shooter who evaluates everything critically, but with a common sense approach. He is currently assigned as the supervisor of the Crimes Against Persons Unit in the Investigat...ion Division. In this assignment, he leads a team of nine aggressive and productive detectives who were responsible for solving two homicides in 2019, and the successful conviction of a suspect in a cold case double homicide. Sergeant Shepherd also took on the task of evaluating case assignment workflow and eventually took the entire Investigation Division paperless. This was an arduous and unpopular task, however he achieved his goal only after a short time of being in this assignment. It is for his experience, leadership, knowledge and dedication to crime victims that we are pleased to recognize Sergeant Sam Shepherd as Supervisor of the Year. #backtheblue

Continuing our recognition of HBPD employee excellence, we are pleased to share the next award for Civilian Supervisor of the Year. Shantel Collins has worked for the Huntington Beach Police Department for 16 years in the Records Bureau. She is currently assigned as Records Bureau Manager, but has been a supervisor for years 11 years. Shantel was nominated for this award in prior years and has consistently proven her dedication to improving not just efficiency in the Records... Bureau, but the entire department. She was directly responsible for the Records Bureau going completely paperless, which required detailed coordination with other bureaus. In addition, she was involved in the implementation of the Records Bureau to be the first unit in the entire police department to utilize the In-Time scheduling system for scheduling and overtime, allowing for a completely paperless payroll system. Shantel always goes above and beyond her role as Records Supervisor. The duties and processes of the Records Department are constantly changing. Shantel always provides her staff with the resources and support to successfully navigate these changes. Congratulations to Shantel for her outstanding work!

OFFICER OF THE YEAR Officer David Avalos Officer David Avalos has worked for the Huntington Beach Police Department since 2016, after serving in the United States Marine Corps. Based on the number of nominations he received by peers and supervisors, David has proven to be a deserving recipient of the Officer of the Year award. He has demonstrated the ability to be a hardworking, assertive officer, yet displays empathy, understanding, and attentiveness when going about his du...ties. Officer Avalos works extremely well within a small unit capacity and is very highly respected. He consistently displays a calm and collected demeanor even on fast-paced calls. Officer Avalos led patrol in arrests with 134 misdemeanors, 21 felonies, with a significant portion of them being officer initiated. Included in his stats are over 25 DUI-related arrests for 2019. He is regularly consulted by younger officers and peers for advice and guidance with work-related issues. Due to his mature mindset, rigorous work ethic and dedication to this department, he was recently selected to be a Field Training Officer, something rarely earned by a junior tenured officer. Avalos holds several ancillary duties, none of which detracts from his performance as a patrol officer. He is a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) and assisted in evaluating drivers involved in two separate fatal traffic collisions. Avalos also assists the K-9 Unit in his role as an agitator where he regularly trains with the K-9 Unit and makes himself available when requested. Congratulations to Officer Avalos for his outstanding service to HB. #hbpd #usmarinecorps #officeroftheyear

CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR Vance Bennett Vance Bennett is currently a Detention Officer, but during 2019, he was assigned as a Parking Control Officer in the downtown area. Vance is well respected by his coworkers, where he is recognized for his enthusiasm and spirit. He is known for coming to work with a smile, and leaving with an even bigger smile at the end of the day. Vance is described as a rare gem, connecting with the community, and is also a hard worker. At the ...end of every shift, it was not uncommon for him to come in with 100 citations. This was accomplished as a part-time employee. As a testament to his character, rather than issue a parking citation to a veteran, Vance would pay the expired parking meter. He also made it a practice to carry gift cards with him at work. When he saw a purple heart or veterans’ license plate on a vehicle, he would often place gift cards in a citation envelope, to show respect and admiration for their sacrifices and service. Vance took pride in working downtown, making friends in the street and with business owners. Vance was promoted to a fulltime Detention Officer position at the end of 2019. Congratulations to Civilian Employee of the Year, Detention Officer Vance Bennett. #backthebluelife

CRIME FIGHTER AWARD Officer Travis Mossbrooks Officer Travis Mossbrooks began his career with the Huntington Beach Police Department in 2017. He has proven himself as a tenacious and driven patrol officer in a very short time, keeping with the tradition of service to our community. Travis was nominated by numerous coworkers and supervisors for his crime fighting work on several significant investigations and arrests. During 2019, he led his squad in making 131 arrests and ...responding to over 2075 calls for service. He is described as a proactive graveyard officer, always in pursuit of criminal activity. His thorough investigations and the quality of his report writing is commendable. Some of his more notable arrests during 2019 included possession of a large amount of narcotics, loaded firearm and cash, possession of an explosive device, large scale identity theft ring, and stolen vehicles. For Officer Mossbrooks’ dedication and strong work ethic, he is recognized with the Crime Fighter Award for 2019. #crimefighters #backthebluelife

Join us over the next few days as we recognize the men and women of the HBPD for their accomplishments in 2019. Although our original awards ceremony on March 12, 2020, was cancelled due to the pandemic, we recently held a small presentation to celebrate the amazing work of the HBPD. We hope you enjoy learning more about their outstanding service to our community. UNIT / TEAM AWARD... Communications Unit Gold Nation The term 911 Gold Nation is as unique and creative as the group of employees who created the program, which was born from a simple conversation one day in the Communication Center. The Gold Nation Program was created to educate the public, schools and business owners on the proper use of the 9-1-1 system and how emergency first responders are dispatched to calls. The group wanted to personally interact with the community, create a connection, and have positive interactions all while providing crucial and educational information. The group secured donations for educational materials and coloring books from The Huntington Beach Police and Community Foundation. They created flyers with basic emergency call procedures for residents and emergency contact cards for businesses in the event of an emergency. They followed through on their idea to get out in the community by setting up a booth at our open house, during National Night Out, at Area Command Meetings, and Neighborhood Watch Meetings. This connection to the community helps to better serve our residents and businesses. Congratulations to the HBPD Gold Nation. #dispatchers #Dispatcherlife

In these trying and difficult times for law enforcement officers across the country, we are proud to show our support for our local HBPD. The Huntington Beach Police and Community Foundation has these signs available now! Display your support for our HBPD with a yard sign! Signs are $10 each, with all proceeds to benefit the Huntington Beach Police and Community Foundation and the HBPD. Signs can be ordered on the hbpcf website and then you can pick up your signs at the AIM... Office on the NE corner of Magnolia & Atlanta or at HB Digital near Gothard and Ellis. Be sure to have your receipt on hand when you go in for your pick-up! #hbpcf Go to our website to purchase!

We recently had an inquiry asking about how donations to the Huntington Beach Police and Community Foundation are used. Here is a great summary of how the Foundation puts your donations to work in support of our police department and the greater HB community. Our vision facilitates community support that fosters and enhances a stronger working relationship between the HBPD and the community members who live, work, and play in our great City. Visit www.hbpcf.org for more information on supporting our police department. #hbpcf Please like our Facebook page so you can stay informed on the happenings of the HBPCF and future opportunities to support your police department.

On September 24, 2020, several cities throughout Orange County will be conducting a test of the AlertOC System. The purpose is to test AlertOC's ability to deliver emergency notifications to our residents during a disaster. If you are registered, you may receive a phone call, text message, and email. During an actual emergency, important information and instructions will be sent to you through this system. No action is required on behalf of our residents receiving an Alert...OC test message. We encourage you to register your cell phones, text devices and email addresses at www.alertoc.org. Please share this information with family and friends so that they can be quickly alerted in case of an emergency. For questions or inquiries about the AlertOC System, please visit www.alertoc.org or contact the City Services Call Center at 714-536-5511 for more information. #alertoc #beprepared