Newsletter
Back to School, Back to Basics; the Commitment to Safeguarding Our Children
As summer comes to an end and kids go back to school, this newsletter edition is focused on our youth.
September 1, 2025
School Safety
The tragic Minneapolis incident is the 44th school shooting this year and another sobering reminder that, while we pray this will never happen in our community, we can never be too proactive or prepared. The City Council just renewed our agreement and ongoing partnership with the Newport Mesa School District to have Newport Beach Police Department School Resource Officers (SROs) on public school campuses, with a number of important additional requirements, including coordination with NBPD for annual threat assessments and lockdown planning. This summer, NPBD SROs attended active shooter training, and the Department ran critical incident drills on campuses while students were out.
The District has installed new state-of-the-art cameras, and we are actively working with them to get NBPD real-time access to the system in the event of an emergency on school campuses.
E-Bike Safety & Education
The City of Newport Beach is taking steps to improve safety and address community concerns related to the growing use of e-bikes in a number of ways.
NBPD procured state traffic grant funding to host a regional e-bike education and safety event in collaboration with the Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach police departments.
The City’s Recreation and Senior Services Department is developing an e-bike safety class that will be advertised in the Newport Navigator and available to all community members.
California law already regulates many aspects of e-bike use; however, the City is exploring potential amendments to our Municipal Code to help address local concerns.
Fentanyl & Youth Mental Health
I sat down with Harold Noriega to talk about how to help kids struggling with mental health challenges and prevent other families from experiencing fentanyl-inflicted loss. His son Cooper touched the lives of many young people also grappling with addiction, through his Coop’s Advice podcast, before fentanyl poisoning cut his own life way too short just before he would have celebrated his 20th birthday. Newport Beach reported six fentanyl-related deaths in 2024, two of which were under the age of 25. Here in Orange County, education and access to Nalaxone have brought these deaths down 44%, but the state trend is still on the rise. Sheriff Don Barnes warns that virtually all street drugs have some amount of fentanyl in them, many in doses that can be lethal, so it is imperative that every parent talk to their children about the dangers of fentanyl.
More Smoke Shop Protections
Given the number of issues occurring with illegal operations out of smoke shops in the City, around the County, and beyond – particularly to minors – this month, I will be bringing forward another package of ordinances for the Council’s consideration, related to smoking, the sale of nitrous oxide, flavored tobacco, and other items.
Sober Living Industry Body Brokering Practices
In 2021, our community was rocked by the death of 23-year-old Henry Lehr, whose parents sent him to a detox facility in an otherwise quiet, residential Newport Beach neighborhood. Since then, we have been fighting for more oversight of these facilities, statewide. The more time I spend on this issue, the more shocked I am at the predatory practices that are rampant in this industry. After meeting with a local fraud investigator for the California Insurance Commissioner, I asked him to speak about the egregious patient brokering schemes his department prosecutes, at our last Sober Living Task Force meeting. The entire video presentation is linked below and it is eye-opening and definitely worth the watch.
Safety Spotlight: Adam Gilbert
SRO Adam Gilbert has been with NBPD for 16 years. He comes from a long line of Police officers and chose the profession for himself because he truly believes in the good in humanity and wants to be the catalyst to making the community better. It’s fitting that he has taken on the role of SRO because it gives him the opportunity to solve problems before they start and be a mentor to students who need guidance (and, I’d add, he’s kind of a big kid himself, so I’m sure the students don’t mind having him around). Officer Gilbert wears many other hats, including Firearms Training staff, Defense Tactics Team, Drone Team, and also teaches at the Police Academy. And, if that’s not enough, he is working toward becoming the newest addition to the Mounted Enforcement Unit. He enjoys riding horses outside of work, too, as well as traveling and spending time with his family.
Safety Spotlight: Christine Maroney
Newport Harbor High School SRO Christine Maroney started interning for NBPD when she was in college 17 years ago. She has always cared deeply about others and had a gift for connecting with people in whatever state they may be. Over the years, she has served as part of the Crisis Negotiation Team, worked patrol on the bike team, and as a Field Training Officer. After becoming a mom, she realized how much she enjoys working with kids, and that she has the patience to really support them (which I’m guessing her part-time yoga instructor gig helps with!). She shares that – while she doesn’t love wearing jeans on the job – she does love being part of the supportive campus environment; “the Newport community truly values its officers, and that appreciation is felt even more in our schools.” At home, she has two little boys of her own whom she plans adventures with, whether camping, backpacking, being in the mountains, or simply going somewhere new.
Safety Spotlight: Brice Hardy
Corona del Mar High School SRO Brice Hardy is responsible for two teenagers at home and hundreds of teenagers at “the office.” In his 22-year tenure with NBPD he has also served as a Motor and Bicycle Officer. He enjoys the SRO role, which allows him to make a positive impact on children’s lives and shape their perspective on what a police officer is. When he’s not working, he spends time with his wife and family, practicing yoga (a recurring theme for our SROs!) and playing golf.
