Riverside Police Department

A Message from Chief Sergio Diaz

February 15, 2013

As the entire community of Riverside   knows by now, on Thursday morning, February 7, 2013, the Riverside Police Department suffered incalculable pain when we lost our brother, Patrol Officer Michael Crain in a cowardly ambush attack which also gravely injured his partner, Officer Andrew Tachias.  The facts of that attack and the subsequent events and the resolution of that crime have been exhaustively covered in other communications.  I want to take this opportunity and this medium to speak directly to the community about what our loss means to me, to the members of the RPD and to our City.  

I hope that all of you avail yourselves of the opportunity to learn more about the extraordinary character of Mike.  His was truly a life well lived.  He was a classic, American hero.  A quiet and soft-spoken man, Mike embodied the character traits that decent people would like to see in themselves, and most importantly, in their children.   Mike served our country with distinction in the United States Marine Corps.  He returned to Riverside and joined the RPD in 2001.  Since his earliest days in the police department, Mike distinguished himself with his police skills, his courage, his dedication to the community and with the decency that marked his conduct in his work and his personal relationships.  

You may notice that I use the words “decent” and “decency” repeatedly.  I can think of no higher praise to describe another human being.  We live in a time in which, sadly, we tolerate too readily the lack of decency in ourselves and in others.  Frankly, I don’t have the time, nor the space, nor the words to adequately praise Mike’s many positive traits, but those traits, and his conduct over a life that was too short, can best be summed up with the concept of decency.  When we examine the record that he left, we can’t help but note that in his deportment, his words and his deeds, Mike gave all for others.  Even discounting the ultimate sacrifice that he made, Mike gave more than he received to his country, his community and his family.  And he always did it with class and (yes, there’s that word again) Decency.  

In the days, following Mike’s death, you, the community of Riverside, showed your character.  I have no words to express how humbled and grateful I am to our community for your countless expressions of sorrow, mourning and thanksgiving.  Individuals, businesses, churches, government organizations and private associations have contacted me and others in your police department with your condolences and material contributions, and most importantly, with your prayers.  Please know that we feel the power of your prayers and the entire RPD takes strength from those prayers.

Don’t stop praying.  Please pray for us and especially for Mike’s family.  The RPD will move on from this loss and we will continue to do our duty on your behalf, following the example that Mike left for us.  The loss to his family is, as hard as this is to accept, infinitely more painful and significant to his wife, his parents, his siblings, and most especially, to his children.   Daddy can’t come home.  His physical body will be absent from all the important milestones in the lives of Ian and Kaitlyn.  He will have to watch from heaven the dance recitals, the sports celebrations, graduations, weddings and births of grandchildren.  The RPD family will do what we can to support the family in their needs, but ours will necessarily be a poor and unsatisfactory substitute for Mike’s presence.  In the end, though, that is all we can offer. 

In closing, I can only promise the community of Riverside that your police department will continue to strive to be worthy of your support and your trust in us. The memory of Mike and of all of RPD’s fallen heroes who have given their all for our City will guide us forward.

Thank you and God bless you.

Sergio

 

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