For about a year, the forensics unit has been all female — perhaps a sign of 'the CSI effect.' And their results are impressive Gabrielle Wimer was nine months pregnant and working a crime scene when she found the closest thing to a smoking gun for a forensic specialist: a clean, detailed fingerprint. "I was like, 'Oh, I got a beautiful print right here,'" she recalled. "And I turned and my belly just wiped it off." That was it, she said: "I'm done until I have this baby." Now almost 3 years old...
Twenty-two Torrance Police Department employees will be honored Thursday at the agency’s inaugural Awards and Appreciation Luncheon recognizing bravery, success in catching criminals and community work. In addition, volunteers and two corporations will be recognized for their cooperation with the department. The event, sponsored by the Torrance Chamber of Commerce, is set for 11:30 a.m. at the Torrance Marriott hotel. It is open to the public. Tickets are $40 a person. “The purpose of the awards...
Seven men have been arrested on suspicion of committing two separate distraction burglaries at homes in the Torrance area. The men, who were arrested on Feb. 20, were observed by police at two different homes, Torrance police officials said. Police say Joey John, 34, of Houston, Texas; Bobby Long, 41, of Stafford, Texas ; Harold Tom Nelson, 37, of Houston; and John Nelson of Kenner, La. were posing as Southern California Edison utility workers in order to burglarize a home in the 4000 block of 1...
Mark Matsuda was sworn in as the city’s ninth police chief, receiving his badge from his wife, Kristin, as the couple’s three young daughters looked on.Aptly enough, the Narbonne High School graduate becomes the community’s first Asian-American police chief at a time when that demographic group is growing rapidly in Torrance. Matsuda, 50, is a longtime South Bay resident who grew up in the unincorporated county strip near Torrance. He replaces Chief John Neu, who retired earlier this year after ...
Ian Maier felt the heat against his uniform. Fire and black smoke surrounded him as he reached into the burning car for the trapped woman. He could smell the scent of his singed arm hair. The Torrance police officer had been on the job just two months. “I could feel her in my hands that I had her,” Maier recalled. “At that point there is no turning away.” Maier, assisted by five fellow Torrance officers, managed to extract the driver from her car just before flames engulfed it. Although badly bu...
When you say the words “first responders” who comes to mind? Police, Fireman, EMT? But what about teachers? It is no longer adequate to place all of the responsibility for our children’s safety in the hands of our teachers during an attack and not take the time to properly train them to accomplish that task. Nor is it acceptable to simply tell them, "Lock your classroom door, turn out the lights, hide in a corner and pray that the attacker doesn’t pick your room." Today, the n...
Small businesses are a major contributor to the strength of our local economy. Literally, small businesses are the backbone of our local community and we appreciate your investment and hard work to make our community a great place to live and work. According to the 2010 Census, 99.7% of U.S. employer firms are small businesses. Almost half of the nation's private sector workforce is employed by small business, there is nothing small about these facts. That is why we recognize a...
Law enforcement officers are people like you and me who want to make a difference. Serving the communities that we all share is just a part of what these humble heroes do. Standing up for those who can not stand up for themselves is just in their blood. Despite the dangers, they proudly put on their uniforms and badges every day, for us. National Peace Officer’s Memorial Day has become a day for us to unite as a community and to honor those who have given their lives to protect us, our fam...
In the first annual Armed Forces Day 5k run, the Torrance Police Office Association beats the Torrance Firefighters Association! Way to go TPOA!
We were sad to hear about this tragic event. Ethan Spencer is the brother of one of our current Torrance Police Officers. Any donation is greatly appreciated. For more information please visit the link below. Family Of Marine Vet Ethan Spencer
We proudly protect our communities, children, and families, despite the difficult year the brave men and women of Law Enforcement has had to face. It is not an easy job, but we wear our badge with a humble pride and seek to make the community we share a safer place to live and work. That’s why I am asking for your help. At the time you receive this letter there have been 138 line of duty deaths of Law Enforcement officers across the US, and officer's killed by gun fire is up 72% from last year. ...
The Torrance Police Officers Associations is sending our deepest condolences and sympathy for our fallen brother, Officer Keith Boyer at the Whittier Police Department.
Once a year we reach out to the businesses in our local community asking you for your support. Annually we look at how we can increase our impact in our community, and we continually strive to outdo our previous year. Your support allows us to make a bigger impact in the community we both share. Here is your chance to join the Torrance POA's community outreach mission. Join us by donating today, your contribution goes toward making our community stronger. Donate By Clicking Here You...
On May 29th, 2017, at approximately 10:35 p.m., the Torrance Police Department responded to the 3600 block of Sara Drive regarding a call of suspicious activity. Upon arrival, responding officers heard a female screaming as two male suspects ran from the residence. One suspect was immediately detained, and the second suspect was later discovered hiding in the victim’s garage approximately 1 ½ hours later during a canine search. Upon arrest, a private citizen appearing to be filming the incident ...
In 2016, the profession of law enforcement, and our nation, lost 135 police officers in the line of duty. This national figure is the highest it has been since 2001, with nearly half of these brave men and women having been killed in ambush-style attacks; with the remaining being a result of various other incidents, including traffic-related accidents and suffering heart attacks on the job. This May marks the 55th year, in which thousands of police officers, law enforcement professionals,...
May 2017 marks the 55th year by which our nation will pay tribute to the men and women of our local, state and federal peace officers. National Police Week is an annual event, conceived from “Police Day”, which was created in 1962, when President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation, designating May 15 as a time in which our nation would pause, gather, and most of all, to remember, those brave men and women who gave their final breath for the sake of justice. In the years and decades to ...
December 1st is #GivingTuesday, a day dedicated to giving back. This is the time of year when we think about all that we are thankful for this holiday season. We are thankful for each and every person out there backing the Torrance POA. Throughout the year we work hard to give back to our local community in many ways. To view the organizations we sponsor and how we give back visit our "Charities We Support" page. If you would like to show your support, please visit the donate section of our webs...
Law enforcement officers are people like you and me who want to make a difference. Serving the communities that we all share is just a part of what these humble heroes do. Standing up for those who can not stand up for themselves is just in their blood. Despite the dangers, they proudly put on their uniforms and badges every day, for us. National Peace Officer’s Memorial Day has become a day for us to unite as a community and to honor those who have given their lives to protect us, our fam...
When you say the words “first responders” who comes to mind? Police, Fireman, EMT? But what about teachers? It is no longer adequate to place all of the responsibility for our children’s safety in the hands of our teachers during an attack and not take the time to properly train them to accomplish that task. Nor is it acceptable to simply tell them, "Lock your classroom door, turn out the lights, hide in a corner and pray that the attacker doesn’t pick your room." Today, the nation’s law enforce...
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Cmdr. Mike Parker wrote an eye opening letter depicting his 31 years on the job. The letter shares Parker’s love of the job and the hardships a career in law enforcement can bring. Parker says, “I have buried my friends and seen their children grieve, feeling lost and alone, yet surrounded by a sea of uniforms. I have seen the extreme cruelty that one human being can inflict on another and the incredible kindness of everyday people toward the less fortunate.” As stat...
Most of us get up in the morning. go about our days and never think about our local law enforcement officers, unless we hear another negative story on the news. There is a perception that there are a lot of bad cops out there. However the reality is that 99.1% of Law Enforcement officers are NOT accused of any misconduct of any kind. In 2015, 965 civilians were fatally shot by officers, this kind of situation gets the media’s attention, understandably. However, it...