A law enforcement officer critically wounded in the line of duty returned to work when she could have retired, leading Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch to ask her why she endured the pain and struggle to get back on the job.

“She will always say, ‘There are people out there who need my help. There is so much more to do, and it’s part of who I am,’” Savrnoch recalled. “That is what our peace officers give us on a daily basis.”

He served as the keynote speaker for a Peace Officers Memorial on Wednesday at the Santa Maria Police Department parking lot off Betteravia Road, one of several events saluting peace officers this week in Santa Barbara County. 

Also Wednesday morning, the Santa Barbara Police Department held a memorial, while Lompoc marked the week with a community food truck festival Wednesday afternoon. 

At Vandenberg Space Force Base, security forces personnel planned several events during the week, including a family day showing off vehicles and other equipment Wednesday, a kickball tournament involving multiple agencies Thursday, and a Friday afternoon closing ceremony.  

Savrnoch, who has spent three decades as a career prosecutor, noted the vital working relationship members of the District Attorney’s Office have with law enforcement personnel.

“Officers have been the district attorney’s partners in seeking justice, the go-to resource to protect public safety. They have been my colleagues, my friends and my heroes,” he said. “To me, a hero is someone who ignores a risk for themselves and acts to benefit others. That is what peace officers do on a daily basis.”

Cmdr. Jesse Silva served as the master of ceremonies for the 45-minute event, where Mayor Alice Patino read a proclamation and praised the role of law enforcement officers amid challenges. 

“Our prayers are always with you and our support is always with you,” Patino said. 

The ceremony also remembered the four peace officers killed in California last year, with Chief Marc Schneider reading their names as Santa Maria Police Explorers placed lilies near the photos.

The four fallen officers saluted were Riverside County Deputy Darnell Calhoun, Selma Officer Gonzalo Carrasco Jr., Los Angeles County Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer and Oakland Officer Tuan Le.

“Today, we are here to honor and remember the heroic law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in their efforts to protect the public, seek justice and make the community safe,” Savrnoch said. “While most people seek to avoid danger at all cost, the men and women of law enforcement run towards danger because that is what needs to be done and that instinct is part of who they are.”

While held in Santa Maria, the ceremony included members of the Lompoc, Guadalupe, Allan Hancock College and San Luis Obispo police departments along with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the Santa Maria Fire Department, American Medical Response and the Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex.

Savrnoch also recognized the many sacrifices of law enforcement officers’ families on a daily basis, including anxiety at the start of shifts, holidays without their loved ones because of work schedules, and more. 

“Again, I say thank you to the families of peace officers for the support you give your loved ones so they can provide this unique and absolutely vital public service,” Savrnoch said. “Protecting and supporting the communities they serve is not just a job for the women and men of law enforcement. It is part of who they are.”