Petaluma Police Honor Clare Torina’s 35 Years of Service
Community Service Officer, Public Safety Dispatcher,
and Crime Scene Investigator to Retire
Petaluma, California – The Petaluma Police Department is proud to announce the service retirement of one of our finest public servants, Clare Torina. After growing up in Petaluma, she began her career with the Department 35 years ago on June 18, 1984 and has served the community with distinction and dedication in a variety of assignments.
She was initially assigned to parking enforcement duties for the first five years of her career. She was promoted to Community Service Officer on December 18, 1989. In this role Clare supported patrol operations by responding to non-emergency calls for service to free up officers to handle other more critical duties. She was a true leader in community policing and engagement by leading the city’s neighborhood watch program, community outreach to youth and seniors, and attending all community special events. She is also famous for serving as McGruff the crime fighting dog and famous community police mascot.
Always willing to help others and never wanting to be recognized, she took on many additional tasks as her work ethic is second to none. She became a Crime Scene Investigator and fingerprint expert for the Department. These skills along with her investigative skills led to the arrests of multiple felony burglary suspects based on a fingerprint evidence collected from multiple crime scenes. When she was investigating crime, she left no stone unturned and followed up on every lead to bring justice to victims.
Early in her career, she recognized the need to be able to help her fellow dispatchers. She took on the stress and challenge to become a Public Safety Dispatcher. Throughout her career she helped every work group and team. She continued to work in dispatch throughout her entire career, but her passion was being in the field and helping community members by providing excellent service.
In June of 2017, she transferred from community service officer to full time public safety dispatcher.
Over the 35 years, Clare developed a reputation of compassion and support for her co-workers. She became famous for her breakfast creations that she would bring to her patrol team or work group briefings. Regardless of the time of day or shift, breakfast was always the menu and it was always good.
Clare never missed an opportunity to help plan celebrations for her peers or the Department. She could always be found smiling and joking with everyone regardless of their tenure. To say Clare helped everyone in the organization would be an understatement. She always carried a case load four times greater than any patrol officer, and when duty called or volunteers were needed after hours, Clare was the first person to show up and the last person to leave.
Clare Torina has helped our Department accomplish our mission of working with our community to provide professional police services. She has exemplified our performance principles of teamwork, professionalism, leadership, community, organizational excellence, and most of all a winning attitude.
Clare asked that she be allowed to retire without any recognition or celebration. I must apologize to her as there is no possible way we could let her retire quietly without expressing to her the gratitude of the community, city, and her Department.
Clare’s last shift answering calls for help and service will be Saturday, June 29, 2019. Please join me in thanking Clare for her 35 years of service to the Petaluma community and congratulating her on a well-deserved service retirement. She will be missed dearly by her friends, colleagues, and our community.
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