Property officer honored for her work ‘keeping evidence safe’

Members of the California Assn. for Property & Evidence recently recognized Laguna Beach property officer Debi Heninger as Orange County’s top officer among five finalists.

Peers nominated Heninger, who has worked 10 years at Laguna Beach, including time in dispatch and records before moving to her current role 1 1/2 years ago. She found out she had been nominated last month and attended an association breakfast earlier this month when organizers announced the winner.

“I was shocked,” said Heninger, a Costa Mesa resident.

Heninger has cleared needed space for evidence storage and returned property to owners involved in criminal cases that have been adjudicated.

She characterized her job as “keeping evidence safe.”

“Debi’s dedication and hard work are two reasons why she had won the award in Orange County,” Heninger’s supervisor, Sgt. Tim Kleiser, wrote in an email.

In June, Heninger was nominated and elected as the association’s training and executive adviser.