Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca was joined by Cerritos Regional Chamber President Linda Frisbey, Miss Cerritos Elaine Ramos, and Executive Director Scott Smith at Thursday’s “Public Safety Luncheon” held at the Cerritos Sheraton Hotel. Randy Economy Photo
By Randy Economy
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca opened up to a group of Cerritos business and civic leaders on Thursday and touted his departments many successes and talked about the importance of instituting a highly effective “faith based philosophy” within his department.
Baca took a walk down memory lane during his 20 minute address before the Cerritos Regional Chamber of Commerce’s “Public Safety Luncheon” at the Cerritos Sheraton Hotel and talked glowingly about his long time association with the community here.
Baca is a former teacher at Faye Ross Junior High School in Artesia, and also served as Captain of the Norwalk Station in his early years as an adult.
“Cerritos will always be considered home to me, in many, many ways,” Baca said. “We have shared many real life experiences and today I just feel Blessed to be the Sheriff of the largest county law enforcement agency in the United States,” Baca said.
Baca, who jokingly referred to himself as a “part-time Catholic,” stressed the importance of bringing “God and Community and the human condition into the daily operation” of his department.
He also talked about the “massive epidemic of drug addiction that is destroying our community.”
“Illegal drugs are dominating our community. Public safety is based upon dealing with the human condition, and we all have to dedicate our efforts to helping with our community members who are addicted to drugs and alcohol,” Baca said.
Baca cited a statistic that of the 18,000 currently serving time in Los Angeles County jails, more than 7,500 inmates are serving “so type of crime that was caused by drugs.”
Baca was elected Sheriff of Los Angeles County in December of 1998 and was reelected in 2010 for his fourth term in office.
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