Costa Mesa officials may rename park after former CMPD chief, who first patrolled in 1953

Roger Neth was working for the Newport Beach Police Department in 1953, when he accepted a position as patrol officer for the newly incorporated city of Costa Mesa and made local history.

The moment his boot hit pavement on Dec. 16, 1953, the Costa Mesa Police Department was born.

City Council members will discuss Tuesday whether to memorialize that moment by renaming Civic Center Park, a 2.5-acre site located west of Costa Mesa City Hall and the police station, after Neth.

Neth’s service with the city lasted more than three decades as the officer was promoted to sergeant, lieutenant, captain and, finally, chief — a post he held for 22 years until his retirement in 1986.

The panel will consider the parameters of the city’s parks and facilities renaming policy, which sets the guidelines for how and when civically owned parcels and properties may be named in honor of notable events and personages.

Roger Neth at 85, during the Costa Mesa Public Safety Recognition Barbecue at the Orange County Fairgrounds in 2013. Neth is Costa Mesa’s first sworn police officer and its second chief.

(File Photo)

That policy states that community and neighborhood parks not located adjacent to schools may be named after donor individuals and groups that dedicate land, facilities or more than 50% of the purchase price to the city, events of local historical significance, unique geographic or environmental features or as part of a selected park theme.

One specific function of the guidelines is to “provide special recognition to local citizens who have made outstanding contributions to the betterment of the city of Costa Mesa.” Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley, who brought the proposal to the council, described Neth as the perfect namesake for the civic space.

“Chief Neth is a beloved member of our community,” Foley said Monday of the 94-year-old Costa Mesa resident. “The park adjacent to CMPD is the perfect location to honor his service.”

A park renaming would be just the latest in a list of civic and philanthropic accomplishments whose cumulative impacts extend far beyond policing.

Neth was recognized in 1972 for spearheading a United Way fund drive that led the nation in per-capita contributions for municipal contributions, according to a city staff report.

In 2016, he received a Mayor’s Award from then-Mayor Steve Mensinger for being an instrumental figure in the formative years of the Costa Mesa Police Department, where he created police officer standards of training used throughout California, brought in the station’s first mobile data computers and introduced the use of video cameras for DUI arrests.

The retired police chief was recognized that same year by Newport Harbor High School — where he graduated in 1944 and played football during the school’s 1942 championship season — being inducted into the campus’ Hall of Fame.

“Chief Neth exemplified the role of a police chief and set a high standard for the department and the community,” city staff wrote in a report for Tuesday’s meeting.

Council members on Tuesday will have the option of approving or denying the renaming request. The panel could also recommend additional names for consideration by the city’s Parks, Arts and Community Services Commission.

An earlier attempt in 2011 to rename Civic Center Park after former Mayor Jack Hammett did not come to fruition, after council members ultimately decided to rename the city’s Farm Sports Complex in honor of Hammett.

Tuesday’s meeting of the Costa Mesa City Council takes place at 6 p.m. and can be viewed online at youtube.com/costamesatv.

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