Tacoma, Wash. (December 10, 2009) – Public safety agencies nationwide and members of our community stepped forward this past week-and-a-half to support law enforcement servants after the horrific and tragic murder of four Lakewood Police Department officers. The response has been generous, overwhelming and heart-warming during this time of grief. The Law Enforcement Support Agency (LESA) extends heartfelt thanks to the numerous agencies who sent peer support, personnel, flowers, food and words of condolences to LESA’s police and sheriff dispatchers, 9-1-1 call takers, records personnel and information technology staff. On a 24×7 basis, LESA employees work closely with law enforcement officers, building bonds that help keep officers safe and informed, and try to make daily tasks easier.
Special thanks go to the California Emergency Dispatcher Association (CAL-EDA), for sending Oakland Police Department dispatchers Gina Oliver and Pamela Roberts. Just one week after the quadruple murder, Gina and Pamela met with employees to provide peer support. Public safety support personnel – such as LESA’s dispatchers, 9-1-1 call takers and records staff – can often suffer emotionally after a tragedy, much like an officer or deputy may. Gina and Pamela could relate; nearly eight months ago, a suspect shot and killed four OPD officers in two separate incidents.
LESA also wishes to thank and acknowledge the support of the Port of Seattle, King County Sheriff’s Department, CENCOM (Kitsap County), Puyallup Police Department, Washington State Patrol, and MACECOM (Mason County) for sending assistance by way of available personnel. The 18 personnel that came to the LESA Communications Center provided additional peer support, call taking support and also provided dispatch coverage so LESA Communications employees could attend the procession and memorial for the four Lakewood officers. The Kent Police Department sent an employee to help at LESA Records; that person stayed for a 10-hour shift to assist with warrants and other duties. Many other agencies – including the Seattle Police Department, SNOPAC (Snohomish County), Valley Communications (South King County), CAPCOM (Thurston County) and Grays Harbor Communications – called with offers to help, and those agencies that had already sent support were willing to send more.
All of LESA’s operational divisions received support and condolences by way of flowers, cards, calls, letters, food and visits – including visits from local agency officers and command staff, despite their busy schedules.
“Like their law enforcement officer counterparts, support personnel rarely ask for help – they provide help,” LESA Director Tom Orr said. “But it’s times like this where receiving and having help means so much.”
About The Law Enforcement Support Agency
LESA provides 9-1-1 Communications, Records Management and Information Technology services for 16 law enforcement agencies serving approximately 96% of the Pierce County population in urban, suburban and rural areas. For more information about LESA, visit www.lesa.net.
|
.jpg)
