Behind the Badge
The past, present and future of Orange County law enforcement converged at the Golden West Criminal Justice Training Center’s 50th anniversary celebration at Golden West College this week.
Police chiefs, command staff, rank-and-file officers and other law enforcement professionals, many who graduated from the Criminal Justice Training Center (CJTC), reunited and reminisced at the May 16 event, which was held in conjunction with the golden anniversary of the college.
“We’re getting to honor the men and women who’ve come before me and celebrate the campus at the same time,” said CJTC coordinator Rick Hicks, former chief of the Placentia and Cypress PDs.
Recruits at the GWC Criminal Justice Training Center line up during a 50th-anniversary ceremony at the police academy May 16.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Inside a classroom, Stan Berry, supervising investigator with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, displayed his personal treasure trove of O.C. police memorabilia, a collection that includes historical badges, old uniforms, crime-fighting gear and old police periodicals.
A 15-minute video chronicling the history of the training center and narrated by current police officials who graduated from the academy played continuously on a screen in the same classroom.
“It brings back a lot of memories,” said retired Orange Police Chief Robert Gustafson, who graduated from the CJTC with Class 11 31 years ago. “I can remember it like it was yesterday.”
Personnel from the Golden West Police Academy, friends, police chiefs and other officers gather for the GWC Criminal Justice Training Center’s 50th anniversary open house.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Orange PD personnel, along with personnel from other agencies, still work at the center as training officers, and several agencies displayed their hardware in the CJTC’s courtyard.
A row of police motorcycles, courtesy of the Tustin and Orange PDs, lined the north end of the courtyard.
Huntington Beach PD displayed its SWAT Bearcat on the east end.
Members of the Tustin, Santa Ana and Orange PDs brought along K9s and mounted units.
Gathered for the GWC Criminal Justice Training Center’s 50th anniversary open house are, from left, Huntington Beach Police Chief Robert Handy, Chief Probation Officer Orange County Probation Steve Sentman, Dean/Director of GWC/CJTC Ron Lowenberg, Irvine Police Chief Mike Hamel, Tustin Police Chief Charles Celano, Irvine Valley College Police Chief Will Glen, Cypress Police Chief Rod Cox, Los Alamitos Police Chief Eric Nunez, Orange Police Chief Thomas Kisela, Seal Beach Interim Police Chief Joe Miller, Brea Police Chief Jack Conklin, Capt. Steve Ames (retired, Orange PD; he also retired as the Center Coordinator), and Center Coordinator Chief Rick Hicks, who retired from the Placentia Police Department.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Sophisticated helicopters belonging to Anaheim and Huntington Beach were showcased in the south parking lot.
The public could try their hand on the use-of-force simulator, used to train recruits before they go out to the range and shoot live rounds.
“This is community policing in action,” said CJTC Dean Ron Lowenberg, a retired police chief and a graduate of the academy.
As for the future, a 39,000-square-foot facility, the soon-to-be home of the training center, is well under construction adjacent to the current facility.
Gary Meza, force option simulator instructor, gives Recruit Priscila Renteria instructions as she tries out the Golden West Firearms Training Simulators, part of the GWC Criminal Justice Training Center.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Along with classrooms, a multi-purpose meeting room and a dispatch lab, the new facility will feature a 5,600-square-foot scenario village, akin to an outdoor movie set, complete with residential and commercial facades, exterior and interior stairways and attic space.
Casandra Palmer, a retired civilian commander with the Los Alamitos Police Department and former coordinator at the training center, was among former employees who reunited with old friends and former colleagues.
“I worked here with some incredible people, and a lot of them are still affiliated with this place,” Palmer said. “A lot of them I haven’t seen for a long time … It’s like coming home.”
Sgt. Kain Gallaugher of the Los Alamitos PD holds his 4-year-old daughter, Shelbi, as he shows her one of Huntington Beach PD’s helicopters that landed in the parking lot of the GWC Criminal Justice Training Center as part of a 50th anniversary open house.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Recruits and other guests walk through a display showing Orange County police uniforms and patches from the past.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Attendees check out an Anaheim PD helicopter that landed in the parking lot of the GWC Criminal Justice Training Center as part of a 50th anniversary open house.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Recruit Kirk Sorensen tries out a shooting simulator with an M4 that shoots lasers at a target as Gary Meza, a force option simulator instructor, gives him instructions.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Ron Lowenberg, dean/director of GWC/CJTC, welcomes everyone to the GWC Criminal Justice Training Center’s 50th anniversary open house.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Mary Hornbuckle, board of trustees member for Coast Colleges, walks through a display showing items of Orange County police agencies of the past.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Recruit Priscila Renteria aims at a video target with an M4 that shoots lasers at the Golden West Firearms Training Simulators, part of the GWC Criminal Justice Training Center.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
