The decade ended on a very positive note for our local AT EASE program with a $100,000 gift from Patti and Dave Anduri being presented to our Santa Barbara Police Foundation for the benefit of AT EASE and the future needs of first-responders in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties.
There’s a story that needs to be told about David Anduri Jr., who served our community honorably for 13 years before his untimely death in 2014 at the age of 38.
Anduri joined the Santa Barbara Police Department in 2002 and eagerly took on the tough assignments, including a stint as a crime scene investigator — one of the most demanding jobs on the force.
The constant demands placed on first-responders is great — more than any of us can ever imagine. In Anduri’s case, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) took a heavy toll during his final years of active duty.
Unfortunately, his PTSD led to a failed marriage. Anduri kept his feelings bottled up inside and would not even share what he dealt with on the job with his fellow officers. Darin Biamonte, one of his closest friends, relates that Anduri would often just isolate himself from everyone else and quietly deal with his demons alone. He became agoraphobic after he was placed on medical leave for what the City of Santa Barbara called stress-related reasons.
This period of isolation turned a social drinker into a full-blown alcoholic and in a short, five-month period, he was diagnosed with probable liver failure.
Biamonte’s wife, Melissa, a registered nurse, heard about Anduri’s condition from her husband. After seeing him, the Biamontes immediately escorted him to the local emergency room and then to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in an effort to save their friend’s life.
They were informed that Anduri’s condition was quite serious and he was given a 40 percent chance of recovery. Over the next 17 days before his inevitable death, many of his fellow officers met with him to express their love for their fallen comrade. His mom, Patti, talks about the horrifying events her son experienced through the stories told by his friends.
Anduri was respected by his fellow officers for his selfless service to the Santa Barbara community. His death was caused by complications of PTSD that, unfortunately, were not addressed early in his diagnosis.
The nonprofit AT EASE program now provides a confidential conduit for first-responders with all costs covered to get help without going through the chain of command. Anduri’s death was a catalyst for the founding of the now flourishing program.
Santa Barbra police Chief Lori Luhnow and her team have brought a renewed attitude to the SBPD. In the past, the city triumvirate of police chief, city manager and risk manager created a bottom-line approach that looked at the financial health of the city rather than the health of our first-responders and what was best for our community in the long run. Luhnow has become an advocate of the AT EASE initiative and realizes the long-term benefits that the program will brings to our community.
Retired police Sgt. Mike McGrew keeps extremely busy these days as he promotes AT EASE in other communities.
“We need to take a fresh look at the value of our first responders and do everything in our power to provide for their recovery from the effects of PTSD on their lives, their families and our communities,” he said.
In mid-2019 the Santa Barbara Police Foundation netted nearly $350,000 in large part for the benefit of the AT EASE program for the tri-counties area. Those funds, along with the Anduri gift, will allow for a great financial foundation for those first-responders in need of therapy in the coming years.
McGrew continues to oversee the program, which offers clinical therapy through licensed trauma-trained counselors. In 2019, more than 600 men and women received care and support through AT EASE in our tri-counties area.
On a more personal note, McGrew, who served 31 years as a police officer and homicide detective, talks about the importance of his personal relationship with God in his own journey. This program deserves our community support!
Click here for more information about AT EASE. Click here to make an online donation.
— Jim Langley represents AT EASE.