Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 136

Introduced by Senator Walters

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Mansoor)

August 4, 2014

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 136—Relative to the Laguna Beach Police Officer Jon S. Coutchie Memorial Highway.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 136, as introduced, Walters. Laguna Beach Police Officer Jon S. Coutchie Memorial Highway.

This measure would designate the portion of State Route 1 that traverses the City of Laguna Beach as the Laguna Beach Police Officer Jon S. Coutchie Memorial Highway. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources to cover that cost, to erect those signs.

Fiscal committee: yes.

WHEREAS, Jon S. Coutchie was born on October 2, 1971, in
Tucson, Arizona; and

WHEREAS, At just 48 hours of age, Jon and mother boarded
an airplane to join his father in southern California; and

WHEREAS, While growing up in Orange County, Jon
frequently traveled with his family to Europe, especially to Italy,
where his maternal grandparents and extended family resided; and

WHEREAS, Jon also loved to spend time with his paternal
grandparents in Yuma, Arizona; and

WHEREAS, From an early age, Jon’s adventurous spirit led
him to snow skiing, camping, waterskiing, jet skiing, motocross,
off-road exploration, and just about anything that would provide
an opportunity for an exciting challenge; and

WHEREAS, At Laguna Hills High School, Jon demonstrated
his ability to work both as a team member, as well as individually,
through his participation in water polo and wrestling; and

WHEREAS, Jon graduated from Laguna Hills High School in
1989 and attended Universal Technical Institute to become an
automotive technician; and

WHEREAS, Jon later continued to expand his learning through
his attendance at Santa Monica College and Irvine Valley College
before entering military service; and

WHEREAS, The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks weighed
heavily on Jon and he wanted to do his part to protect his country,
family, and friends; and

WHEREAS, Jon enlisted in the United States Army at 31 years
of age with the intention of becoming an elite ranger; and

WHEREAS, Jon attended basic and advanced individual training
at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he was named the Honor Graduate
of his class; and

WHEREAS, Jon entered ranger training at Fort Benning,
Georgia and, at 32 years of age, he mastered the rigorous ranger
training, which overcame many of the younger aspirants, to become
a ranger; and

WHEREAS, Jon’s four years of active duty service as an elite
ranger included two tours in Iraq followed by two tours in
Afghanistan; and

WHEREAS, Between tours of duty, Jon continued to hone his
leadership skills, including graduating from the Primary Leadership
Development Course as an Honor Graduate; and

WHEREAS, Jon lived by the ranger motto, “Rangers lead the
way!” and his overall leadership qualities earned him an early
promotion to the rank of sergeant; and

WHEREAS, During his military service, Jon earned numerous
service awards, including, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the
Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation
Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense
Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraqi
Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary
Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Combat
Action Badge, the Airborne Badge, and the Ranger Tab; and

WHEREAS, After his distinguished service in the military and
his honorable discharge from the United States Army, Jon realized
that he wanted to continue his service to the public and applied
for a part-time jailer position with the Laguna Beach Police
Department; and

WHEREAS, Jon showed great enthusiasm for his job and
excelled with each assignment; and

WHEREAS, Seeing Jon’s great potential, the Laguna Beach
Police Department sponsored Jon through the Goldenwest Police
Academy in 2008; and

WHEREAS, Jon successfully completed his police officer
training in March 2009 with the distinction of being the first
Goldenwest Police Academy Honor Graduate in the history of the
Laguna Beach Police Department; and

WHEREAS, Upon his graduation, Jon was immediately sworn
in as a Laguna Beach police officer; and

WHEREAS, Jon showed passion for his new profession and
enjoyed working with the diverse population of the City of Laguna
Beach; and

WHEREAS, Jon showed a passion for traffic issues and
displayed expertise in accident investigation; and

WHEREAS, Following this interest, Jon applied and was
selected for a coveted motor officer position with the Laguna Beach
Police Department in March 2013; and

WHEREAS, On the evening of September 21, 2013, Jon
traveling was northbound on the Pacific Coast Highway in an
attempt to locate a vehicle that was being driven recklessly and
that had eluded another officer; and

WHEREAS, While looking for that vehicle, Jon was involved
in a collision that took his life; and

WHEREAS, One of the responding officers, upon seeing Jon
had not survived the collision, draped an American flag over his
body, which is an honor befitting a hero who had served his county
and his community; and

WHEREAS, Comments from community members praised Jon
for being a firm, but fair, officer; and

WHEREAS, Jon is survived by his mother, father, step-mother,
brother, step-sister, and girlfriend; and

WHEREAS, Jon lived life with great enthusiasm and loved
spending time with family and friends; and

WHEREAS, Some would describe Jon as a “Renaissance Man”;
and

WHEREAS, Jon’s quick wit made him a man with an amazing
sense of humor, his demeanor showed a willingness to put those
around him at ease, and he could always be counted on for a good
laugh; and

WHEREAS, Jon was the consummate protector, as demonstrated
when he once rescued a wayward rattlesnake and rather than
dispatching the snake, he held the snake out the window of his
patrol car while transporting it to a safe release point; and

WHEREAS, Jon was a warrior and peacemaker, a gentle and
compassionate soul and, in some ways, still a boy at heart; and

WHEREAS, While on deployment in Iraq, he wrote that he
wished he could gather all the Iraqi children and take them home
to the United States, where they would have a chance for a better
life; and

WHEREAS, As a police officer in the City of Laguna Beach,
Jon was frequently seen explaining to children the duties of a law
enforcement officer while letting them sit in his patrol car; and

WHEREAS, The Laguna Beach Police Department will forever
miss and love Jon; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of Police Officer Jon S. Coutchie’s
service to this country and the City of Laguna Beach, it would be
fitting to designate the portion of State Highway Route 1 that
traverses the City of Laguna Beach in his honor; now, therefore,
be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the
portion of State Highway Route 1 that traverses the City of Laguna
Beach as the Laguna Beach Police Officer Jon S. Coutchie
Memorial Highway; and be it further

Resolved, That the Department of Transportation is requested
to determine the cost of erecting appropriate signs, consistent with
the signage requirements for the state highway system, showing
this special designation and, upon receiving donations from
nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs; and be it
further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the author
for appropriate distribution.