Exhibit depicts history of the Simi Valley Police

'WHAT, NO BLAZER?'—Above, Sgt Adam Darough completes the lineup of past and present Simi Valley Police Department uniforms currently on display at a new exhibit inside the police station on Alamo Street. At right, a timeline marking significant events in the department's 37-year history. "It helps people remember all the good things we've done," said Mary Humphries, deputy director of police administration. Like the city itself, the Simi Valley Police Department—established June 30, 1971—has come a long way since its days as the Community Safety Agency, when unarmed officers patrolled town in green blazers.

To celebrate its nearly 40-year history, the department's historical committee has created a 23-foot timeline documenting Simi Police's most memorable cases and milestones.

Mary Humphries, deputy director of police administration, headed up the 11member historical committee. She said the permanent exhibit, located at the heart of the station, will educate visitors to the site and serve as a nostalgic link to the past for the officers who work there.

Photos by IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers "It helps people remember all the good things we've done," said Humphries, 56, who's worked for the department for 22 years.

Along with creating the timeline display—which also shows off the different uniforms the department has had over the years—the committee has been working since April to develop an informal archive of photos, documents and old equipment.

Humphries said the goal is to create future installations within the station dedicated to each unit. She also envisions wall displays honoring the department's retirees and Simi's only fallen police officer, Michael Clark.

"As times goes by, we'll continue to document our history for generations to come," she said. "It's a work in progress."

Many memories

A Simi police officer for 23 years, Capt. Ron Chambers was present for much of the timeline's recorded history. The 46-year-old cop said some of the most significant operations the department has worked on involved the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

Chambers said the department supported the library when it opened in 1991, and also took part in Operation Serenade, the designated name for Reagan's funeral services, and Operation Unveil, the project to bring Air Force One to the library.

Humphries said she could still remember the hearse going by while police, firefighters and locals saluted.

"It was a very poignant moment," she said.

The saddest day in the department's history, Chambers said, was Aug. 4, 1995, when Officer Michael Clark was fatally shot in the line of duty.

"That is probably the single significant event that those of us that were here at the time have gone through in our careers," Chambers said. "It affects all of us even still today."

Lt. Tony Anzilotti was with Clark the day he was killed and said it's a moment in his life he will never forget. Unfortunately, he has seen other senseless tragedies while on the force. Just this year he has been to three homicide scenes, he said.

"It is difficult to fathom that someone could do that, whatever their motive was," he said. "It never ceases to amaze me what people are capable of."

Still, he said he has also seen his fellow officers and citizens perform acts of courage.

"There are heroes out in our community," Anzilotti said.

Home sweet home Last Saturday, the Simi Valley police station celebrated its 10year anniversary with an open house featuring the timeline as its centerpiece. The current facility at 3901 Alamo Street opened in October 1998

Looking at the modern, stateoftheart building, those unfamiliar with the department's history would have a difficult time believing the agency got its start in a trailer behind city hall, which used to be in the building now occupied by the YMCA.

But Anzilotti said he remembers the old facility clearly, saying the temporary trailer in the parking lot "didn't have too many comforts."

City hall had already begun the move to its Tapo Canyon Road location in the 1980s, allowing the police to take over the city offices, but damage caused by the 1994 Northridge earthquake escalated the department's need for a new home.

"The east end of the police facility actually sank into the ground a few inches," Chambers said. "The building was a little off kilter for a while."

Officers worked despite the damage and repairs, Anzilotti said.

"Crews were pumping concrete under the foundation for months to keep the building up," he said.

Family ties

Anzilotti, Humphries and Chambers agreed that the support of the community is what makes the police department special.

Chambers said having support from the City Council and residents makes it easier for officers to do their job. Anzilotti added that this good relationship inspires him to serve.

"You're supporting a community that likes you and understands and appreciates what you're doing out there," he said.

And even though the department has changed dramatically through the decades, it has not lost its close-knit, hometown feel.

"Every day is a good day here," Humphries said. "It's a great group of people. It's a family."