By Susan Motander
There are new beginnings and a sad departure at the Monrovia Police Department. This week the city will swear in three new police officers, but next week they will say farewell to a long time member of the department, Sgt. Don Newton.
After forty years in law enforcement, Newton is retiring, with a celebration of that career to be held next Wednesday Oct. 19 starting at 4 p.m. in the Community Policing Room at the Department. Newton began his career in the Culver City Police Department as a patrol officer in 1976, and served there until in 1979 when he moved to the Carbom County Sheriff Department where he worked through 1981. In 1987 moved to the Los Angeles County Coroners Department as an Investigator II. In 1990 he began with the Monrovia Police Department as a patrol officer. He was promoted to an investigator just two years later and became a sergeant in 2001. Newton is married to fellow Monrovia Lt. Patty Newton. His experience will be sorely missed.
The new officers to be sworn in are William Wilkins, Patrick Leon and Travis Ortega. Three new civilian members of the department were also welcomed this week. They are Police Services Representative Vanessa Rodriguez, and Administrative.
