LAPD Harbor Police Station, We, the People, Are With You

In total defiance of the politicians who do not speak for us, We, the People. We continue our efforts to show full support for the men and women in blue who protect our community day in, day out.

On October 22, 2020, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Harbor Station, in San Pedro, California, received the attention of the People, represented by Bishop Juan Carlos Mendez of Churches In Action and congressional candidate Joe Collins who, together, organized a prayer vigil at the Harbor Police Station.

Bishop Juan Carlos Mendez and Congressional Candidate Joe Collins
Bishop Juan Carlos Mendez and Congressional Candidate Joe Collins by the police station – Photo credit Nurit Greenger

An Attack on Harbor Police Station

On September 26, 2020, around 9:59 p.m., 29-year-old Jose Guzman entered the front lobby of the Harbor station where he was met by a uniformed desk officer who began a struggle with the intruder.

Following the incident, Michael Moore, Police Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department told the Police Commissioners that the Harbor attack was just the latest example of an increase in the number of assaults on police officers.

This attack incident and the call to dramatically reduce the police force’s budget has had a significant impact on the morale of the Harbor Station’s officers, in particular, and the entire Los Angeles County’s police force in general.

Boost of Morale Came From Churches in Action

Churches In Action’s leading force is Bishop Juan Carlos Mendez, born in Guatemala and migrated, in 1976, to Los Angeles, California where he resides. For over 30 years Bishop Mendez has been locally engaged as an advocate for social justice. As the founder and president of Churches In Action, he oversees a coalition of 2300 churches, that mobilize on behalf of the needy and the destitute.

The Bishop has founded 40 churches, including the “Dream Center,” formerly Bethel Temple Los Angeles; he heads the Annual Mayor’s Interfaith Prayer Breakfast in Los Angeles, has worked on the U.S. Congressional Forum on Immigration and has organized hundreds of Prayer Breakfasts for elected officials, at the municipal, state and national levels. In Washington D.C., he has hosted Congressional summits and serves on numerous boards, both, nationally and internationally.

Churches In Action continues to support the law enforcement’s families, many of them are members of the Church. The Bishop holds no sympathy nor support for the cultic Black Lives Matter (BLM) and their anarchistic behavior.

While the City of Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti and many politicians keep their hypocrisy ongoing, keeping themselves well protected and safe, they have called to defund the police force. This shows that they do not really care for the people they are supposed to protect and keep safe. Churches In Action holds the politicians responsible for the out of control homelessness in California and for demoralizing the police force, putting the men and women in blue lives in danger just as they are putting the life of each city resident in danger with an anemically financed police force.

Churches In Action sees the current California governor Gavin Newsom and the current City of Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti team being on a dangerous trajectory to destroy California, what was considered, for decades, the best state in the union.

the sponsoring deligation-R-Robert Foster, Collins' campaign manager, Joe Collins, Bishop Mendez, Rev. Annete McDonald, Collins' security detail
The event’s sponsoring delegation-R-Robert Foster, Mr. Collins’ campaign manager, Candidate Joe Collins, Bishop Mendez, Rev. Annete McDonald, Mr. Collins’ security detail – Photo credit Nurit Greenger

Partnering with Churches In Action in support of the police force was congressional candidate Joe Collins

In appreciation for the officers’ dedication to their work, Congressional Candidate Joe Collins, a US navy veteran, along with the prayer vigil provided a generous breaking bread lunch for the entire station staff.

Joe Collins who grew up in South-Central Los Angeles, is a patriot. His service with the United States Navy has instilled in him a strong sense of duty, commitment and leadership. The need of his community became a call to become the next U.S. Representative for California’s 43rd congressional district, and thus be the impacting voice of change for his beloved community.

LAPD Lunch
Lunch served – Photo credit Nurit Greenger

After the 2016 election divisiveness and rancorous rhetoric, Joe recognized several alarming factors about the country’s state of affairs: the media’s role in escalating unwarranted public anger; the gap between party lines that has become much more difficult to bridge; the politicians’ lack of listening and empathetic ear to their constituents; and, with most politicians simply having no purpose or a plan for the future. Having already taken an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States of America, Joe’s compelling decision to run for office and serve as congressional representative means to well represent those who live, work and do business in the California’s 43rd District.

The visit to the Harbor Station was a great opportunity for Mr. Collins to introduce himself in person, interact with the officers and thank them for the most difficult and dangerous work they perform each day, sometime under rather unattainable circumstances.

Joe Collins and Bishop Mendez, both, recognize the importance of relationships the community has with faiths’ leaders, with those who represent them and with the law enforcement. Such relations, to a large extent have been broken, and priority must be made to mend these ties.

Bishop Mendez, Churches In Action, and Congressional candidate Collins, both, not only believe in faith based community that has good relations with law enforcement but also in improving education, having good-paying job opportunities, and ending the homelessness in the city.

This team up visit to the Harbor Police Station only affirms they are working to achieve the goals at hand.

With Joe Collins and Bishop Juan Carlos Mendez
Writer with Congressional Candidate Joe Collins with Bishop Juan Carlos Mendez – Photo credit Nurit Greenger

During the 2006 second Lebanon War, Nurit Greenger, referenced then as the “Accidental Reporter” felt compelled to become an activist. Being an ‘out-of-the-box thinker, Nurit is a passionately committed advocate for Jews, Israel, the United States, and the Free World in general. From Southern California, Nurit serves as a “one-woman Hasbarah army” for Israel who believes that if you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything.

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