La Mesa's Diamond: the La Mesa Police Department

With the success of this year's car show, running every Thursday night through August, I wanted to take the time to express heaps of gratitude for the great working relationship we have with the La Mesa Police Department. 

You know, it's really funny (and sad too), if you talk to any car show guy, any time of the year and mention La Mesa they just freak out.  They say, "Oh La Mesa Police give so many tickets" and such like that.  And it was true - ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO!

Since then we have worked well with Chief Lanning and all the LMPD, building a great relationship, working together, making the car show a fun event for everyone.  For the last six years the LMPD selects a trophy winner each week, called the "La Mesa Police Officer's Choice Award", and we have officers out of the car walking the street talking with participants.  Yet, at the beginning of the 2011 car show when we started promoting the event, those same accusations still rang out, "La Mesa gives tickets".    How long does it take for a bad reputation to die?

I am very pleased with this year's management.  Lt. Matt Nicholass and Sgt. Pete Andersson have been communicative, hands-on, and kind in their directions.  I'm sure they are just doing their job, but it feels like they really care, and I appreciate that.  Each week I speak with them to review the last week's activities to see if there were any problems, so that the problems are fix immediately.  I'm sorry I don't know the names of other officers assigned to the car show, but I am so pleased with all of them.  And the LMPD motorcycles add a 'cool' to the show.

With regard to my store, I've had a couple situations such as counterfeit bills, and the police have been very kind to help me learn more about that industry.  They even caught a mother-daughter team that tried to give me a fake bill.  I was on the phone to the police while watching them drive away -- and thank God for the trolley that passed, making them wait at La Mesa Blvd. and Spring St.  I was able to watch the car turn on Palm heading towards Henry's and the police nabbed them on Palm near Henry's.  I loved it!

I also had a large theft and although the police didn't catch her, I had a lot of support from LMPD.  I enjoy hearing their Crime Prevention Specialist talk at our merchant meetings, helping merchants be more safe in their stores.  In the village we are close-knit, we are similar to a tight neighborhood watch group, we alert each other when something suspicious occurs using a telephone tree and email alerts.  LMPD are always responsive to any situation.  They tell us, we'd rather come and have no problem then to come after a problem.

Thank You LMPD - The Diamond In Our Jewel Of The Hills