On behalf of the men and women of the Downey Police Department, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the residents of Downey, a community we proudly serve.  

On November 18th, 2015, we lost one of Downey’s finest.  Officer Ricardo “Ricky” Galvez was a true hero who served both this community and our country with honor and dignity.  We will never forget Ricky or the Galvez family.

Once the horrific news was reported of Ricky’s murder, the Downey community came together, in support of each other.  We leaned on one another, we cried together, and the outpouring of love and support has helped us all cope with this tragedy.  Over the past few weeks, we have witnessed thousands of residents visit Ricky’s memorial to pay their respects to a young man who gave his life serving the community he loved.  

There were many of you who visited the station to drop off food, making sure our Downey PD family had a warm meal to eat.  The countless number of handwritten messages by our local students and the blue ribbons on display throughout the city warmed our hearts. 

Your strength, prayers, love and support will never be forgotten by the men and women of the Downey Police Department.  We came together as one and we will heal together as one.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you Downey, we will be forever grateful for the love and support that you have shown to Ricky, the Galvez family, and all the men and women of the Downey Police Department. 

Respectfully,

Carl D. Charles
Chief of Police