Full Notification

Modesto, CA – Police recently received a special grant from the Laci & Conner Search and Rescue Fund. This is the third year in a row the Modesto Police has received funding from this remarkable foundation.

Since 2008, the Modesto Police Department has been the recipient of three grants totaling nearly $8000.00 from the Laci & Conner Search and Rescue Fund, which is a program under the auspices of the Carole Sund/Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation. The initial grant award was used to aid in the initial start up of the Modesto Police Department’s Underwater Search and Recovery Team by purchasing equipment. Subsequent funding has been used to maintain this valuable unit by purchasing air tanks and other safety equipment.

For many years, the Modesto Police Department lacked the ability to perform underwater search and recovery operations to aid in collecting vital evidence, recover drowning victims, or recovering items which would aid in major cases. The department relied on other organizations or allied agencies to perform these tasks. The investigation of the Laci and Conner Peterson murder case was a prime example of the need to train officers in underwater search and recovery operations.

The mission of the dive team is to perform underwater search and recovery missions in order to aid criminal investigations, recover property, or locate victims of drowning. Modesto has approximately 37 miles of rivers and canals and also has three man-made lakes. Since the establishment of this unit, the dive team has had 7 missions and recovered items such as firearms, evidence in violent crimes, and stolen property. This is a collateral assignment for these specially trained dive team officers.

Sharon Rocha, founder of the Laci and Conner Search and Rescue Fund, and a member of The Carole Sund/Carrington Foundation Board of Directors states, “Many people spent countless hours helping in the search for my daughter, Laci. I believe that every missing person deserves to be found and returned to their loved ones. We hope to aid in that effort by providing funds to assist in search and rescue operations”.

The Laci and Conner Search and Rescue Fund, a program under the auspices of The Carole Sund/Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation, was founded by Sharon Rocha in memory of her daughter, Laci, and grandson, Conner. The purpose of this fund is to provide financial assistance to law enforcement agencies and non-profit organizations involved in search and rescue operations. These organizations are able to apply for financial assistance for search and rescue training and the necessary equipment in order to improve their search and rescue capabilities.

Since its inception in December 2005, the Laci and Conner Search and Rescue Fund has funded over $271,000 in grants to over sixty specialized units and organizations in 19 states. The Modesto Police Department is one of those agencies. The Department’s intention is to be better prepared and equipped for search and rescue, and therefore be more successful in our efforts to safely return missing persons to their loved ones.

For information on the Carole Sund/Carrington Foundation and the Laci and Conner Search and Rescue Fund, contact spokesperson Sharon Sanders, Program Director at (209) 567-1338.