Alhambra officers to ride in honor of fallen comrade

Six Alhambra police officers will ride in the Police Unity Tour in Washington, D.C., in May to honor Alhambra police Officer Ryan Stringer, who died in the line of duty in July 2010.

The officers will hold a fundraiser from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday at 38 Degrees Ale House and Grill, 100 West Main St., Alhambra.

Attendees can purchase food and also participate in a raffle for prizes like an iPod Nano, Kindle Fire and Disneyland tickets. Proceeds will go toward the officers’ entry fees.

In May, the officers will ride 250 miles in three days with the tour’s Southern California Chapter from Somerset, N.J., to Washington, D.C. To participate in the tour, each officer must raise the $125 entry fee and an additional $1,800 in donations.

Proceeds from the Police Unity Tour, which had its first ride in 1997, go to the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. Last year, 1,300 officers participated, raising $1.5 million.

Lieutenant Jennifer Wiese, who is riding in the tour this year, said Alhambra officers have been in the ride before, but this year there is increased participation for a cause that is now closer to home.

“We’re like a family and when you lose a family member and it’s not expected, it’s very difficult, and you have that loss and that void in your life,” she said.

Wiese added that in her 23 years with the Alhambra Police Department, Stringer has been the only officer to die in the line of duty. Stringer, 26, was killed on July 10, 2010, in a collision with another police vehicle. Both cars were responding to a reported robbery.

…full story by Lauren Gold
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