CHP Officer Commemorated
Memorial Marks Start of National Peace Officers Memorial Week
On Monday, May 3, loved ones, friends, and fellow California Highway Patrol officers gathered at the CHP’s Goleta headquarters to remember 29-year-old Jarrod Martinez. The San Marcos High alumnus died, while on duty, in a traffic collision last October.
Martinez’s memorial marked the beginning of National Officers Memorial Week. Superior Court Judge Thomas Adams, Third District County Supervisor Doreen Farr, CHP Commander Bill Perlstein of Monterey, as well as a number of officers from Buellton and Ventura came to honor Martinez’s memory.
The memorial included the dedication of a rock in front of the CHP office, with a metal placard bearing an image of Martinez’s face and the words, “For those that knew him, no explanation is necessary. For those that didn’t, no explanation is possible.”
Judge Adams imparted reflected on Martinez’s loving nature. “The headlines from yesterday are simply forgotten,” he said. “The people who really make a difference are the people who care the most.”
According to Commissioner of California Highway Patrol Joe Farrow, the memorial serves as a permanent testament to Martinez’s dedication to the force. “This memorial honors the commitment of this squad to ensure Jarrod is never forgotten,” Farrow said. “His dreams are now memories, and all of us officers risk their dreams everyday.”
