Slain Officer’s Parents Help Comfort Others

When Ken and Marianne Wrede’s police officer son was killed in the line of duty 13 years ago, the couple felt there were no outlets for them to talk about the violent and sudden death.

Their son, Kenneth, was a 26-year-old officer in West Covina who was shot while on patrol by a man under the influence of PCP. The killer is now on death row.

“The fact that Kenny was murdered and the trauma associated with his death, all of that was extremely difficult to deal with,” said Marianne Wrede, 63. And although people were sympathetic, she said, no one could relate to their grief.

So in 1989, the longtime Anaheim residents channeled that anguish into forming a peer support group. The group, which includes bereaved families, co-workers and friends, evolved into the Police Survivors Support Network.

Last month, nearly seven years later, the Wredes were recognized for their work by Gov. Pete Wilson, who presented them with the Doris G. Tate Award. The award--established in memory of the mother of slain actress Sharon Tate--is given annually to Californians who have assisted crime victims.

Now more than 300 families throughout the state are involved in the Wredes’ group, which meets every other month at Southland police departments. The next meeting will be Nov. 16 at the Simi Valley Police Department.

The Wredes were nominated for the award by West Covina Police Chief John T. Distelrath.

“Whenever they’ve been called upon, the Wredes always make themselves available to comfort families and victims,” Distelrath said. He added that they have also rallied support for state laws that aid victims.

Marianne Wrede said the support group has become “a lifeline for a lot of people.”

“They know they can always call on one of us because we understand what they’re experiencing,” she said.

Information: (714) 496-2700