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The retiring Pat McInerney (second from left) and Richard Barnett (right) were lauded at a recent dinner for their years of service to Citizens Patrol and thanked by SPPD Sgt. and Citizens Patrol Advisor Jimmy Fogata (left) and Police Chief Steve McLean (second from right).
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SPPD lauds retiring Citizens Patrol
volunteers Barnett and McInerney
July 01, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
Two longtime volunteers were thanked for their community service and dedication to Citizens Patrol at a recent dinner.
Richard Barnett and Patrick McInerney were honored by Santa Paula Police Chief Steve McLean and Sgt. Jimmy Fogata, the Citizens Patrol advisor, at a recent dinner where their dedication to the SPPD and the public was lauded.
Both Barnett and McInerney said Fogata are retiring from Citizens Patrol.
Barnett and McInerney are also City of Santa Paula Special Disaster Service Workers (SDSW); as members of CERT (Citizens Emergency Response Team) the two were among the 2013 inaugural class of SDSW that received further training to officially be called upon to respond to emergencies.
Said Fogata, “Richard was a graduate of the first Santa Paula Police Citizens Academy and he came on board with Citizens Patrol when he had already been very active with CERT.”
Barnett continued his activism by becoming the treasurer of Citizens Patrol, “had other roles and took part in all the activities...Richard was ready for call outs 24-7.”
McInerney, also a SPPD Citizens Academy graduation and CERT member and veteran member of Citizens Patrol, distinguished himself by the large volume of parking violation tickets he and partner Richard Macias were regularly assigned to. The two were nicknamed The Ace Team by Santa Paula Police because of their dedication to assigned tasks and their almost daily routine of volunteer activities.
“Those guys were writing sometimes 40 to 50 tickets a day,” including said Fogata for abandoned vehicles.
McInerney and Macias would do the paperwork for vehicles to be towed among other tasks they took on for the understaffed SPPD.
So admired was the team’s devotion that McInerney and Macias were honored as Public Safety Officers of the Quarter in 2013 by the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce.
Although McInerney has retired from Citizens Patrol he still “Comes in and helps us with special events, he’s still committed. Richard would come in also,” said Fogata but Barnett and his wife Pam are moving to Atascadero to be closer to family.
“Pat and Richard were very important members of our team...all our volunteers are important because they do what they do from their hearts, not because they want the pay and attention.”
Fogata said the duo is dedicated in spades: “They were dedicated to Citizens Patrol, to CERT, to the SPPD Citizens Academy, just dedicated to the community.
“Our volunteers are always willing to step up and help...and often the minimal jobs are the most complicated jobs.”
Citizens Patrol can be called upon to help handle traffic in emergencies, guard crime scenes during investigations, help police staff with paperwork, help patrol festivals, Ghost Walk, parades, register people for special events and enforce parking laws.
“Our Citizens Patrol has helped when we had lost kids or an Alzheimer patient that wanders off...Citizens Patrol recently found a gentleman that became lost,” within the critical timeframe necessary to avoid tragedy.
McInerney and Barnett are “Going to be missed...it’s hard to lose people that are so dedicated...you could see when we had the going away party for them it’s hard to step away. We’re like a little family in the SPPD and we all support each other.
“Pat and Richard were major players in the police department,” that said Fogata, “would do things that others didn’t want to and they’d do it...we never heard a complaint,” from the volunteers.
Fogata said more who would like to become members of Citizens Patrol are urged to apply; candidates must undergo a background check and meet other qualifications.
It’s great duty and a great way to give back to the community, and noted Fogata, “It’s never dull!”
For more information, visit the SPPD Station 214 S. 10th St. and pick up a brochure on the program or email Fogata at jfogata@spcity.org or Pete Duff at pduff@spcity.org
