Nov 19, 2008

Lori Canaba: Fit For Duty
By Kimberly Sherman

Erase any clichéd notions you may have about the husky cop hanging out in the local donut shop, and meet Lori Canaba, a bundle of energy neatly packaged into the title of Police Sergeant for the City of Tulare.

Canaba cherishes the time she spends donning badge and boots. “As a young lady I was told by several people that women did not belong in law enforcement, but my father told me to follow my dreams and to be good at whatever I decided to do,” she said. “I became a Tulare Police explorer when I was sixteen and this guided me and allowed me to see that this was the career that was meant for me.”

With two years under her belt as a patrol sergeant, Canaba has a total of 20 years law enforcement experience. “I am an expert in the field regarding sexual assaults,” she said. “As a detective, these were the cases that I was primarily assigned to investigate.” One of Canaba’s greatest accomplishments as an officer was the Tulare County Investigator of the Year award she received for her sexual assault investigations.

“Lori has won several awards over the years,” said Canaba’s supervisor, Captain Tom Munoz. “She received the Latino Peace Officer of the Year award, and she participated in the Police Olympics and won a medal for power lifting.”

Munoz appreciates the energy Canaba brings to the force in all aspects of her career. “One of the attributes I find most impressive is her innate ability to get people to talk to her,” he said. “Victims (of sexual crimes) tend to not want to open up. I am impressed with her ability to have both victims and suspects open up and truthfully admit what happened,” he said.

The many facets of Canaba’s career reach beyond patrol supervision. As an instructor for the Tulare-Kings Police Academy, she has been a physical fitness instructor for the past 13 years, teaching cadets the skills needed to become well-rounded officers. Lifting weights with her family is a regular activity in Canaba’s household, helping her refine both her physical endurance and teaching technique.

Canaba’s sexual assault investigation experience has also come into play at the academy. For the past ten years she has been an instructor for sexual assault classes as well as classes for future officers on how to communicate with the disabled. “Because I know sign language, I teach the portion regarding people who are hearing impaired,” she said.

Munoz recognizes the different pressures and stresses facing female officers being pulled between family and career. He appreciates Canaba’s diverse set of qualifications. “I look to Lori as a mentoring coach for female officers coming into service,” he said. “She has weathered all types of stress and remains successful. She is very well-balanced.”

In the hours left over after Canaba’s workday is done, she spends time with her family. “We like to take camping trips and go on long runs,” she said. “We are also big sports fans. We love the Dodgers, Galaxy, and the Lakers. We differ in football teams, though. I’m a Steelers fan,” she laughed.

Interested in becoming a police officer? Canaba suggests, “Go for it! Take plenty of writing classes, a typing class, and start working out. Follow your dreams, work hard and you can accomplish any goals you have set for yourself.”

For those not interested in the world of law enforcement, Canaba’s passionately makes a different recommendation. “Understand that there are so many more aspects to this job,” she said.  “Please take the time to schedule a ride-along so you can develop an understanding of what we do and how hard we work to protect the citizenry of Tulare.”