On Wednesday, September 11th the Torrance Police Department held a press conference to announce that they have identified the suspect in the murder of Terri Lynn Hollis, which took place on November 23rd, 1972. A Torrance Police Foundation grant enabled the Department to send DNA evidence from this case to a specialized facility for analysis which identified Hollis’ murderer as Jake Edward Brown, who died in 2003.
The closing of this 47-year-old case will never bring back Terri Lynn, but hopefully it was able to bring resolution and closure to her surviving family members. The Torrance Police Foundation was proud to have been able to assist in the solving of this case. A recent luncheon hosted by the Torrance Police Foundation brought together more than 50 business and community leaders from across the city. Torrance Police Chief Eve Irvine gave an update on the impact the Foundation’s grants have had on public safety, including the purchase of several unmanned aerial systems (UAS), equipping patrol cars with automated external defibrillators (AED devices), and acquiring a trained bomb-sniffing dog. Torrance is a safer city because of the exceptional service delivered by the leadership and officers of the Police Department.
On Tuesday, April 5, 2018, the Torrance Police Foundation hosted the “Meet the Chief” Mixer & Reception at the Audi Pacific Dealership for more than 100 guests. The event brought together business and community leaders for a great night of networking with Torrance Police Department’s Police Chief Eve Irvine and other members of the police department. Guests included several of our Founding Sponsors, Torrance Mayor Patrick J. Furey, several City Council members, as well as Torrance Police Officers.
The evening featured a K-9 demonstration from our newest K-9 dog, “Gero” who was recently trained on explosive detection. In addition, Torrance Police Department showcased their newest technology: Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), also known as police drones. These drones have assisted in many cases in Torrance and neighboring cities. The Foundation is proud to support these new, innovative projects that make police work more efficient, effective and safer. The Torrance Police Foundation would like to thank Audi Pacific for being a great community partner and for generously sponsoring our “Meet the Chief” Mixer in their beautiful showroom! Torrance Police Foundation presented another grant award to the Torrance Police Department at City Council on November 6, 2018 to improve the Drone Team program. Nearly 100 missions have been deployed this year already to help locate missing persons, provide traffic collision and crime scene photography, and coyote tracking, evidence recovery and search-and-rescue at Torrance Beach. Torrance Police Foundation stands by the Department as a community partner, and it is our pleasure to support the Department in their dedicated efforts to create a safer, stronger Torrance community.
In November, the Torrance Police Foundation board approved a grant for an additional K-9 dog for the Torrance Police department for $29,700. With the help of our sponsors and in particular, the Honda Associates who held several fundraisers to fund a new K-9, we were able to fulfill this need. Additionally, one of our current K-9 dogs will be trained in explosive detection (“bomb sniffing”). To date, Torrance has been one of the few agencies without this in place. As a response to the recent increase in terrorist attacks throughout the world, having this capability will have a large impact on the safety of our community. K-9’s have a rich history of working with law enforcement and military units dating back to the 1800s. Police K-9’s receive specific training to assist law enforcement in ways other tools cannot. The structure of a dog’s nose gives it a sense of smell that is 300,000 – 500,000 times stronger than the human nose, allowing them to follow a scent trail undetectable to humans, even breaking down specific scents. For example, humans can smell beef stew cooking, whereas a K-9 smells individual ingredients like the onions, carrots, and thyme. For that reason, K-9’s are used to sweep venues for explosives, search buildings for narcotics and apprehend suspects on the run. Recent patrol activity has reflected the need for additional K-9 teams as well. With an increase of felony traffic stops, vehicle pursuits, foot pursuits and ensuing police containments, there is a greater need for additional K-9 apprehension teams. The new Explosive Detection Canine will serve multiple purposes. As has been proven in recent years, both domestically and internationally, terrorists commonly identify “soft” or vulnerable targets in search of victims. A highly visible, active, Explosive Detection Canine has the potential to deter these types of attacks from occurring in the future. It is with great appreciation for the work of the Torrance Police K-9 unit that the Torrance Police Foundation supports their efforts to continue to build the resources for the work they do, and to keep our community safe. The Torrance Police Foundation will be working with community members to set up opportunities to share with the public the work of the K-9 unit. If you own a business, and would like to host a K-9 demonstration for your employees, please contact Robin Garfield at [email protected]. On Saturday, November 11, 2017, American Honda Motor Co. Inc., and Board Member Steve Morikawa, generously hosted friends of the Torrance Police Foundation for a night of culinary delights, wine pairings and a high end silent auction. Set at the beautiful Napa Rose restaurant located in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, the evening helped raise close to $50,000 for the Torrance Police Foundation that will help fund grants to the Torrance Police in the areas of advanced equipment and training, youth programs and community outreach programs. “We are so thankful to Honda, one of our first founding sponsors, for their on-going and generous support of the Foundation and belief in our mission to make a safer Torrance. The Honda Evening at Napa Rose event is the highlight of our year, where supporters come together to celebrate all we have achieved. Steve Morikawa and his staff were exceptional on creating a very memorable evening.” said Robin Garfield, Executive Director of the Foundation. The evening began with a cheese and wine tasting, while guests bid on exclusive opportunities including a day at the firing range and ride-along with the Torrance Police, a stay at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii, Tiffany jewelry and Signature passes to Disneyland. Guests enjoyed a buffet dinner and had the opportunity to view the food preparation while chefs explained how the culinary masterpieces were created. Highlights included: Snow Crab Claws, Poached Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce, Grilled Prime New York with Pumpkin & Artichoke Cabernet Essence, Herb Roasted Colorado Rack of Lamb with Portobello Mushrooms, Spiced Prosciutto and Ponderosa Chili Sauce, and Pan Roasted Diver Scallops with Lemon Lobster Sauce, to name a few. Captain Jon Megeff of the Torrance Police cancelled an already purchased trip to Las Vegas to attend. “My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the Honda Evening at Napa Rose. The food, wine, and silent auction were amazing, but what I appreciated most was the conversation with Torrance Police Foundation board members, donors, supporters, and fellow officers. I’m already looking forward to next year! shared Megeff. Guests included several of our Founding Sponsors including Tim and Twana Rogers of Tower Energy, Francesca and Doug Deaver, along with Torrance Mayor Pat Furey and his wife Teresa and Councilmember Martin Herring, as well as many of the police officers who will benefit from the evening’s success. Board Members in attendance included: Steve Morikawa of American Honda Co., Board Chair Hank Parker of PDM LLP, David Buxton of Tormed Medical Buildings, Patrick Santy of George P. Johnson Co., Jeff Kuida of LA Prep, John Whitcombe of Greenberg Whitcombe, Takeuchi, Gibson & Grayver LLP, Robert Van Lingen of Van Lingen Towing, Terry Ray of Barrister Executive Suites, Jack Messerlian, former Torrance Citycouncil member, Greg Nakahira of Picerne Group, Frank Scotto, former Mayor of Torrance, and Dan Armendariz from California Water Service. With the extremely generous financial assistance of the Torrance Police Foundation, I had the fortune of being one of 30 participants in the inaugural class of at the Drucker School of Management in Claremont. The West coast version of the prestigious SMIP (Senior Management Institute for Police) program in Boston, ELI is a 14-day intensive live-in course….yes, weekends included…..covering a wide range of management and leadership concepts, from Connective Leadership to Generational Shifts, from Public Trust to Crisis Communications, and so much more. Significant value came from examining these concepts from private sector, non-profit, and academia perspectives, rather than through the standard policing lens. Course professors and presenters moderated dynamic class discussions, which tested our critical thinking, leadership, and problem-solving skills. Of equal value was the networking and information sharing of other law enforcement executives from around the state and country. From this course, I have a better understanding of why I am the leader that I am today and how to capitalize on those positive qualities, as well as how to manage my shortcomings. This course has given me a new found excitement for leading the Torrance Police Department during this challenging time for all of law enforcement and for effecting positive cultural change in our agency for the benefit of the exceptional men and women therein and especially for our great community of Torrance. Thank you TPF for your generosity and for giving me the opportunity to become a better leader for the Torrance Police Department. I pledge to share the knowledge and lessons I have gleaned from this training with my peers, and anyone else that may benefit, to force-multiply the investment you have made. Respectfully, Lieutenant Jennifer Uyeda Community Affairs Division Commander Thanks to the generosity of Tim and Twanna Rogers, The Torrance Police Foundation is thrilled to announce its first $50,000 Diamond Level sponsor. With their support, TPF will be able to further its mission to champion community support for public safety by providing resources to the Torrance Police Department to ensure our men and women in blue can provide the highest level of public safety for the Torrance community. The Rogers are well known for their charitable giving, recently donating one million dollars to Little Company of Mary. Tim is a native of Torrance, and both he and Twanna expressed their deepest respect for Torrance police and the work they do. Their company Tower Energy, headquartered in Torrance, owns 50 retail grocery and gas stores in Northern California that are leased to a Chevron dealer and operates its own locations in Southern California. They are currently the developers of The Thermal Club, a private residential community built around a race track, in Thermal, CA. We are honored to have the support of the Rogers and their belief in keeping our community safe. |
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