SANTA MARIA - In the wake of the deadly police shooting of Santa Maria Police Officer Albert Covarrubias, Jr., the annual Santa Maria Police Awards Luncheon has been postponed.
The luncheon is a big event on the calendar for both the Santa Maria Police Department and the community.
Officers and staff are recognized for outstanding service and going above and beyond the call of duty.
"Its appropriate that it be postponed," said Jim Glines, a member of the Santa Maria Police Council. "We're going through an unprecedented tragedy in our local police department as bad as any I can remember in my lifetime."
Jim Glines has spent most of his life in Santa Maria and helps raise money to support the Police Department through the independent, non-profit Police Council.
"I think it's appropriate we put off that luncheon and not celebrate the Police Department until they have time to move through this process," he said. "It's a sign of respect to them."
Albert Covarrubias, Jr. actually received one of those police awards for his service as being one of the first officers on the scene of a shooting rampage here at a Santa Maria junkyard nearly four years ago.
Four people were killed at Black Road Auto in March of 2008 in a shooting spree by Lee Leeds who officers later found hiding behind the junk yard.
The deadly rampage by Leeds, who is still awaiting trial, shocked the community in much the same way as the death of Officer Covarrubias, who was shot by his best friend on the force during a struggle with other officers.
"It's very difficult to talk about. We still have a small town mentality and emotions run very high," Glines said. "I believe we have to support our people and those families and the grief process they have to go through. The community has a process and the police department has a process. They have an outside investigator look at all this. We don't know all the facts and we have to be very careful about a rush to judgement."
The Police Awards Luncheon is expected to be rescheduled for next month, but no date has yet been announced.
