A City Answers Its Call to Duty

A criminal defense lawyer sent me a scathing letter recently, claiming that my column too often is pro-prosecutor or pro-police. Even if they deserve it, he wrote, “I’m tired of hearing about it.”

His e-mail moniker was “Mad Dog.” It might become “Raging Dog” after he reads today’s offering.

Because for some reason, his letter reminded me of Howard E. Dallies Jr., and what’s going on in the Garden Grove Police Department.

Dallies was the fifth Garden Grove police officer killed in the line of duty. No other city in the county has lost that many. Now his fellow Garden Grove officers, and their supporters, are building their own memorial to their five slain comrades. And they’re doing it with private funds.

Dallies, a nine-year veteran, father of two young sons, and just 36, was fatally wounded late at night on March 9, 1993, after stopping someone on a stolen Kawasaki motorcycle in a residential neighborhood. Several shots were fired. The fatal one hit Dallies in the abdomen, just below his bullet-proof vest. Authorities say it was a sudden attack; Dallies never even removed his gun from its holster.

Before losing consciousness at the scene, Dallies got out three words: “White, male, young.” A cop whose last gasp of breath was to

try to help fellow officers he knew would be desperately searching for his killer.

It was a slim lead, but helpful to the police task force that spent four years investigating the Dallies murder. A suspect--white, male, young--was arrested last year, and his trial is pending. Only coincidentally, the defendant’s attorney is someone who works with my e-mail friend, Mad Dog.

Dallies’ death galvanized the entire Police Department into action. A dozen officers were assigned to the investigative task force. But they were supplemented by scores of others who volunteered their time, both from within the department and from other law enforcement agencies. They sifted through thousands of leads before making an arrest.

Dallies’ death during a seemingly routine traffic stop was a reminder of how senseless cop murders can be.

It also energized police supporters in Garden Grove to do more to honor those who put themselves on the line to do their jobs. There is already a memorial at the Plaza of the Flags at the Orange County Civic Center in Santa Ana honoring all the county’s officers killed in the line of duty. But the people of Garden Grove wanted their own.

“Any city that has lost that many officers should pay special homage,” said Cpl. Richard Morales, a Garden Grove police watch commander.

And so this one is doing that.

Before, there had been a small city memorial, a series of plaques, honoring the five slain officers. It was located on the lawn about 75 yards from the police station on Acacia Parkway. But the plaques were removed recently to begin construction on the city’s new juvenile justice center.

It was actually the Stardusters, the organized group of officers’ spouses, who came up with the idea for a more fitting memorial, something everyone would notice.

So with the Stardusters’ help, the city’s police officers are planning that memorial in their off-duty time. A committee was formed, and all contributed ideas for what it should look like. Reserve Officer Gary Cunningham put together a rendering that was approved, and a firm has been selected to build it.

Besides creating the memorial themselves, the officers and supporters are raising all the funds. It will take about $100,000. A car show is planned, plus a music concert, and maybe a luau.

Next up is the Oct. 4 interdepartmental softball game, which will include the city’s Fire Department personnel, at Bolsa Grande High School. The officers are all paying a fee just to play. There’s no set price for audience attendance, just whatever fans want to donate.

Garden Grove Police Sgt. Paul D. McInerny, who chairs the committee, is accepting invitations to speak to community groups about it.

The City Council has approved space for the memorial; it will be in a park-like plaza adjacent to the Police Department’s east side.

I’ve seen the architectural drawings recently approved by the memorial committee. The primary piece will be a bronze statue of a police officer with a folded flag, leaning at a grave site of a slain officer.

McInerny predicts: “The first instinct of the visitor will be to go to him, touch him, try to somehow comfort him.”

A wall behind this bronze figure will include the names and depictions of the five Garden Grove officers who have been killed.

It will be called “A Call to Duty.” It’s due for completion next May.

I doubt anybody who stops by there will be able to pass it by without thinking of the five men the memorial honors.

Maybe even Mad Dog would agree, this is one cop story worth sharing with readers.

For the record, here are the other four besides Howard Dallies: Myron Trapp (killed in 1959), Andrew Reese (1970) Donald Reed and Michael Rainford (killed in separate incidents in 1980).

Also for the record, Dallies was the 31st officer slain in Orange County. That was five years ago. Nine more have lost their lives since then.

Jerry Hicks’ column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling the Times Orange County Edition at (714) 966-7823 or by fax to (714) 966-7711, or e-mail to jerry.hicks @latimes.com.