Veronica Padilla was the first LAPD officer to join the Skid Row Running Club. Her example could not have been more ideal. From her very first run, her warmth, her friendliness, her encouragement, her refusal to pass judgement – informs every interaction. Her attitude and kindness is why police officers are embraced by all of our runners. Veronica genuinely cares about everyone.
To outsiders, this friendship between police and those who have been on the wrong side of the law may be hard to understand. There is a stereotype that cops and criminals never get along, let alone have lasting, meaningful friendships. But this is one of the remarkable aspects of the Skid Row Running Club: that by sharing the act of running, barriers and preconceptions disappear. Those, who in other circumstances would never interact, look forward to spending time with one-another, and come to understand that so much of what divides people really makes little sense. That if you choose to spend time with someone, if you choose to share a common experience, the bond of friendship is inevitable.
Today, we often enjoy the company of a half-dozen or more officers from LAPD Central Division. Without exception, they follow Veronica’s lead. When Veronica was promoted to Sergeant, it surprised no one in the running club. Her ability to address any difficult situation with calm and thoughtfulness are the hallmarks of her leadership. Not only are all of us in the Skid Row Running Club lucky to have Veronica as our friend, the City of Los Angeles is similarly lucky to have Veronica wearing blue.
Sincerely,
Judge Craig Mitchell
In the early days of the Skid Row Running Club, because we were a small group, we frequently ran against traffic laws and into the middle of the street. On occasion, we were stopped by members of the Los Angeles Police Department or even issued citations.
One day at the end of one of our runs at 4th & Crocker Street in Skid Row, a police car pulled up and Veronica Padilla of the LAPD came out to talk to us. Naturally, we assumed the worst, but instead Officer (now Sergeant) Padilla asked if she could start running with us. Veronica had been running for quite a while and started her shifts on Skid Row right about the time we usually finished our runs. Of course, we welcomed her with open arms.
Not only is Sergeant Padilla an amazingly strong runner, but she has become a role model and mentor to many members of the club. In fact, only in the Skid Row Running Club can you find a former gang member or parolee running side by side with a police officer. As a result of Veronica’s steadfast involvement in the club, she has brought in dozens of LAPD officers who run with us side by side on a weekly basis and become a member of the Board of Directors for our humble non-profit. She always invites our members in recovery into police community events and does an excellent job of making people feel welcome and safe; an ideal police officer who truly protects and serves.