Hawthorne Press Tribune
Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - August 24, 2017
Rare Solar Eclipse Captures
the Fancies of Photographers
Though it didn’t fully darken the South Bay skies, Monday’s solar eclipse was still a sight to behold—provided you had safe viewing equipment. This photo of the event was taken by Herald Publications’
own Gregg McMullin.
Council Honors Detective Shaun
Kemp as Employee of the Month
By Derrick Deane
Helping track down and eventually coordinate
the arrest of four violent serial robbery suspects
earned Hawthorne Police Department Detective
Shaun Kemp the Employee of the Month
Award. Kemp was honored at the City Council
meeting this past Tuesday.
In June, Kemp was assigned a case that
involved four suspects who had committed
a robbery of a local cell phone distributor in
Hawthorne. “I want to thank all my supervisors
who allowed me to work this case,” Kemp
said. “I don’t think everybody understands
how much they have to do with it as well.
I just try to do the best job I possibly can.”
The same day of the Hawthorne robbery,
Kemp learned of an attempted murder that
occurred in Gardena near one of their local
casinos. While watching the video of the
Gardena incident, he recognized that two
of the suspects from that incident were also
involved in the armed robbery in Hawthorne.
“Utilizing our law enforcement network
relationships, he met with Gardena police
detectives to share information and formulate a
strategy,” Hawthorne Police Chief Robert Fager
said. “As work unfolded, Shaun successfully
identified one of the suspects from the cell
phone store robbery.”
With the assistance of the Hawthorne
Police Department gang analyst, Kemp was
able to identify a second suspect. “Next our
department’s forensic unit notified him that
evidence from the scene of the cell phone
robbery led to the identification of the third
suspect,” Fager said.
Through the investigation, Kemp learned that
one of the suspects that had been identified had
recently been arrested in Alhambra for burglary.
He also learned of another robbery that the
suspects had committed in Seal Beach. “Kemp
organized and led several surveillance teams
to locate the suspects based on information he
developed,” Fager said. “Several warrants were
authored by Shaun, assisting him in monitoring
the suspect’s whereabouts and movements.”
Kemp learned that the suspects were
committing numerous violent crimes throughout
Los Angeles and Orange County, which led
to more coordination and information-sharing
as the agencies involved broadened. “As a
snapshot, these suspects committed crimes in
Los Angeles which covered several different
divisions--Gardena, Torrance, Pico Rivera,
LAX, Seal Beach, Alhambra and Placentia,”
Fager said. “What’s important for me to pause
and underline that crime knows no borders. A
lot of times our community rightly feels like
there’s something we can do to solve crime
here in Hawthorne. We can do the best we can
here but if other cities don’t measure up, their
criminals come in to our territory.”
Kemp ultimately authored eight search
and arrest warrants during the course of the
investigation. “With the great work of our
department SWAT Team, he coordinated all
four suspects from the Hawthorne cell phone
store robbery, seizing two firearms,” Fager said.
“When the dust settled, it was determined that
the suspects were responsible for one murder,
two attempted murders, and numerous counts
of violent armed robberies.”
Forensic examinations of the firearms are
still continuing--but according to Fager, they
are receiving hits linking them to more crimes.
“Shaun’s display of investigative skill, follow
up, tenacity and dedication demonstrates and
embodies the qualities our officers employ,”
Fager said. “The arrest of these four violent
suspects undoubtedly prevented future violent
crimes from occurring not only in our city but
around our region.”
Fager continued, “His hard work and desire to
combat crime is a credit not only upon himself,
but serves as an example for all of his fellow
officers. In fact, his work product was even fully
recognized and applauded via commendation
letters I received from the Gardena Police Chief
and some of his staff.”
Kemp was hired in 2009 after graduating from
the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Academy and
began his career with the Hawthorne Police
Department in 2010. He was later tasked to
and joined the department SWAT team in 2013
and a year later achieved the position of field
training officer.
In 2016, Kemp became a detective. During
his time as detective, he began working in the
Juvenile Crimes Department and is currently
assigned to the Robbery Department. “Shaun
is a great asset to our department and to our
community and it gives me great pride to [honor
him as] the Hawthorne Police Officer of the
Month,” Fager said.
Kemp also serves as the tactical flight observer
for the department’s air unit and is also a tactical
medical operator. Kemp was recognized with
the South Bay’s Life Saving Award in 2014.
“It is men and women like you in our police
department that is really making Hawthorne a
significantly safer city,” Mayor Pro Tem Hadir
Awad said. “I commend you on all the efforts
you have taken to make sure that the residents
here in Hawthorne are safe.” •
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................5
Classifieds............................3
Community Briefs...............2
Finance..................................3
Food.......................................5
Hawthorne Happenings....3
Legals................................ 6-7
Pets........................................4
Police Reports.....................8
Seniors..................................2
Sports....................................8
Weekend
Forecast
Friday
Partly
Cloudy
76˚/67˚
Saturday
Sunny
79˚/68˚
Sunday
Sunny
81˚/69˚
The Weekly Newspaper of Hawthorne