Hosts Johnny & Gloria Keyes with Search & Rescue team members

Ukiah, CA – September 11, 2018: The day was a great success, with over 100 served from our new grill. Foundation board members were on hand with Sheriff Allman to welcome first responders and friends. As the lunch hour dust settled, we caught these images of volunteers and lingering guests outside the Forks Ranch Market. We were prepared to serve more, the nearby encampment of far-flung firefighters and personnel having recently vacated the area. Our thanks and gratitude are extended to all who responded to the River and Ranch Fires in Mendocino County, indeed to all those working for public safety in the face of wildfires in California and beyond.

– Photos by J. Orth

Ukiah, CA – September 5, 2018: Please join us Tuesday, September 11 from 11am to 2pm at the Forks Ranch Market, 3152 North State Street, at Lake Mendocino Drive in Ukiah, as we welcome and thank All First Responders and Military Personnel – firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMTs, veterans, and SAR volunteers in the wake of California’s largest wildfire.

Lunch is free of charge, courtesy of Johnny & Gloria Keyes and the Mendocino Public Safety Foundation. More information: (707) 463-4085. Download poster

Ukiah, CA – For Patriots Day, Sheriff Allman and the Public Safety Foundation are planning a barbecue to appreciate all of the courageous responders to the Mendocino wildfires. A generous donor has enabled the Foundation to purchase an industrial, tow-behind gas grill for disaster response needs. We will help break it in with a little celebration together, so mark your calendars. The event will take place outside the Ranch Market, at North State Street and Lake Mendocino Drive in Ukiah. More details will be posted.

Redwood Valley, CA – April 24, 2016: The Mendocino Public Safety Foundation’s annual meeting was held at the beautiful Barra Event Center. Foundation directors, friends and supporters gathered for a barbecue and presentation by Sheriff Allman and some of his deputies. A K-9 officer retirement ceremony was held for these brave canines who have served so well. Many thanks to all for supporting our law enforcement community. Some images of the day:

Blog Editor’s note: This was re-posted February 20, 2017 to replace the post that was lost when our site was down for awhile.

Ukiah, CA – March 5, 2016: Mendocino Public Safety Foundation’s annual meeting will be held Sunday, April 24, 1 to 3pm at Barra Event Center, 7051 North State Street in Redwood Valley.

Please join us and Sheriff Tom Allman for lunch and a K-9 retirement ceremony. Hot dogs and hamburgers (vegetarian will be offered). Tickets are available at the door and a donation of $15 a person or $35 per family is requested.

We look forward to seeing you at this fun event in a beautiful setting. Thanks for your support!

Ukiah, CA – March 2015: Last month’s annual barbecue with Sheriff Allman, deputies and canines was well attended, with twice the expected turnout. Held at Barra Event Center in Redwood Valley on February 8, about 70 Foundation members and friends gathered in a convivial setting.

Sheriff’s deputies gave a dog demonstration, with a Malinois and Red the bloodhound showing off their K-9 officer skills and training. The dogs are essential members of the law enforcement team.

Ross Liberty, President of Mendocino Public Safety Foundation, gave a presentation and talked about the nonprofit foundation’s programs. Currently, we are recruiting local candidates for scholarship loans to enroll in academy training that leads to employment in police and deputy positions in Mendocino County. Scholarship alumni Cody Mason and Alex Johnston were on hand to share their experiences.

Afterward, the Foundation’s Board of Directors held the annual meeting. A new candidate was interviewed for a scholarship loan. Many members renewed their memberships, bringing in fresh funds to the Foundation. The 2015 goal is to fund at least six more scholarships for local residents to attend policy academy and go to work as officers in Mendocino County.

A good time was had by all. KZYX public radio covered the event for the community news. Thanks to everyone who attended, contributed and supported us! We will keep you informed. And next time you see a local law enforcement officer, remember to say “thanks” for all they do.

– photos pending

Ukiah, CA – January 2015: The Mendocino Public Safety Foundation released its Annual Report in time for the annual membership meeting, Sunday, February 8, from 1 – 3 p.m. at Barra Event Center, 7051 N. State Street, Redwood Valley.

Please join us and Sheriff Tom Allman for lunch and meet the sheriff’s K-9 and bloodhound crew. We will discuss our program of recruiting and financially supporting local candidates for police and deputy positions. Tickets are available at the door. A donation of $15 per person or $35 per family is requested.

Foundation annual report January 2015

Red

Fort Bragg, CA – Oct. 9, 2012: The hunt for fugitive Aaron Bassler last year was handicapped because no local police agency had a tracking dog that could follow a scent in the woods. But that deficiency has been cured, thanks to charitable donations by hundreds of Mendocino County citizens.

The sheriff’s new bloodhound “Red” will meet the public on Saturday, October 20 at 11 a.m. at Noyo Harbor barbeque area on Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg, in a Public Safety Appreciation Barbeque. Red has recently returned from training school and is ready to track fugitives, find lost persons, and do any other public safety duties that require an amazing sense of smell.

The October 20 barbecue is a benefit for the Mendocino Public Safety Foundation, a non-profit that was set up in 2011 to raise funds to help local law enforcement and to build stronger ties between peace officers and the public they serve. The Foundation’s first grant paid for Red.

Another purchase by the Foundation will be greeting the public too. This is “Avatar,” a tactical robot that allows police to enter and search a crime scene without endangering personnel. Avatar can take video, talk and drive by remote control.

Another highlight of the barbecue will be a demonstration of K-9 dogs in action seizing and restraining a “suspect.”

The event will be hosted by Sheriff Tom Allman, who has worked closely with the Public Safety Foundation to identify needs of local law enforcement that citizens can help meet with their tax-deductible donations.

A full barbeque lunch will be prepared by Savings Bank of Mendocino County employees, with supplies donated by Harvest Market. Tickets are $10 per individual and $25 per family and are available at the door and at Harvest Market. A previous Public Safety Appreciation Barbeque in Redwood Valley October 7 drew 150 people.

“This gathering will be fun and it will let folks show their appreciation for our law enforcement professionals,” said Ross Liberty, president of the Public Safety Foundation.

It will also be part of the first annual meeting for the Foundation, which has more than 200 local member/donors. The Foundation is recognized as a 501(c)(3) charity by the federal government and it has a policy of using 100% of public donations for grants to the sheriff and local police departments, without any deduction for administrative expenses. All administrative services are provided without charge by volunteers, and costs like mailing and events are paid separately by local supporters.

The Foundation’s chairman is former county supervisor Jim Eddie of Potter Valley.

Looking to the future, the Foundation has set a goal of raising $20,000 to fund law enforcement in providing security for citizens’ volunteer cleanups of trash and chemicals left behind by illegal marijuana sites on public lands.

The Foundation’s website is ProtectMendocino.org and can be reached at 467-3661.