Behind the Badge
She is an expert in analyzing things left behind.
Swirls and smudges on a car fender tell a story, just as footprints in the mud and shattered glass do.
For nearly 20 years, Community Services Officer II Christina Nunez has made it her job to notice tiny details and make sense of them.
Nunez started part-time with La Habra PD in 1993, but it didn’t take long before she wanted in full-time.
“I thought it was very challenging and interesting,” she said. “And, after some time went by, I thought, ‘I can do this.’ I’ve always looked at law enforcement as a very noble profession and I’m extremely proud to be a part of it.”
Nunez put herself through the academy and worked as a patrol officer for five months before transferring to the traffic unit to work as a civilian investigator in major collisions.
Weeks of specialized training means she can interpret dents and scratches on a vehicle, skid marks in the street or damage on a bumper and piece together exactly what happened — a valuable skill when conflicting stories of how a crash occurred are reported.
“Those markings sometimes let me know whose version is more accurate on how a crash happened,” Nunez said.
La Habra PD’s Community Service Officer II Christina Nunez with John Blalock, 28 of La Habra, a Special Olympic athlete on the swim team.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Her attention to detail and work ethic in the traffic unit has not gone unnoticed.
Her dedication to service has earned her a Chief’s Unit Citation, the city’s quarterly Customer Service Award, and the La Habra Police Association’s “Civilian Employee of the Year” award in 2001 and 2010, as well as being named M.A.D.D.’s “Civilian Employee of the Year.”
It also made Nunez an easy choice when La Habra PD was looking to fill out its Crime Scene Investigation Team six years ago.
Nunez is now one of three PD employees trained to investigate the details of a crime scene and collect evidence that often can help solve a case.
In one residential burglary case, Nunez picked up on two droplets of blood left on the kitchen floor of a home, which later led to the suspect’s arrest.
Diffident by nature, Nunez shrugs off her keen observation skills saying they are simply part of her job.
“When you’re trained to be looking for small things like droplets of blood, it’s easier to see,” she said.
For a woman who loves a good jigsaw puzzle and curling up with a mystery novel, working crash investigations and CSI feeds her love of mystery and problem solving, but Nunez finds inspiration in another assignment.
For over a decade, Nunez has spearheaded the department’s fundraising efforts for the Special Olympics — a nonprofit supported by dozens of law enforcement agencies across the country.
The PD holds two events every year, Tip a Cop in October and the Torch Run in June, to sponsor athletes who compete in the annual summer games in Long Beach.
This year’s Red Robin Tip a Cop event raised more than $5,000 — the most raised among all agencies in California that participated — and an opportunity drawing held in conjunction with the Torch Run usually brings in about $1,000.
Nunez helped grow the PD’s involvement after bringing in athletes, like Special Olympics swimmer John Blalock, to participate in the torch run and also solicited members of North County SWAT to join.
“Our department has been so supportive of the Special Olympics,” Nunez said. “The athletes quite often see the same officers and the officers get to know the athletes.”
Blalock, 28, and a few of his athlete friends are prominently featured in the Torch Run, riding in convertibles and waving to passersby.
Blalock, who swims for the Fullerton Sharks, said he appreciates the work Nunez puts in every year to make the La Habra PD events memorable.
“She’s awesome,” said Blalock, who has won several gold and silver medals in swimming. “We always have a fun time.”
Seeing the joy the athletes have at each event is what Nunez said is her greatest reward, and every year she experiences a moment that validates why she stays so dedicated.
At one torch run, Blalock forgot to bring his medals and a fellow athlete quickly noticed and offered to share his so they could both wear gold.
“They are so generous and so fun, I do this for them,” she said. “They inspire me.”
Special Olympic medal winner John Blalock with La Habra PD’s Community Service Officer II Christina Nunez.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
La Habra PD’s Community Service Officer II Christina Nunez who helps organize the annual Tip A Cop fundraiser for La Habra PD as well as being involved in LHPD’s Special Olympic torch run.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
