The Passing of Sgt. Tom Lamping

Sgt. Thomas E. Lamping was born on August 11th, 1955 in the city of Montebello. Tom was raised in the city of Whittier where he graduated from California High School in 1973. Soon after graduation he met his wife Janet whom he has been married to for the last 30 years. Together they are the proud parents of four daughters.

Tom began his career as a reserve officer before officially being hired by the Whittier Police Department on July 21, 1980. While working patrol on April 3, 1998, Tom was dispatched to a home on Broadway Ave. Upon arriving it was determined that the six–week old infant had stopped breathing and had turned blue. CPR was started on the child, however she was unresponsive. Tom instantly rushed the child to the hospital without hesitation after realizing the paramedics were not arriving. Tom continued CPR while he was driven by Officer Lowe. The child arrived at the hospital but was quickly transported to UCLA Hospital where the infant underwent emergency surgery for a defective heart. The hospital attributed the child being saved by the of Tom’s immediate actions.

On July 8, 1981, Tom was dispatched to a home on Mavis Avenue on a non breathing elderly female who had a weak pulse. Tom gave the woman mouth to mouth resuscitation and continued to do so until paramedics arrived. The woman was transported to the hospital where she survived due to Tom’s efforts. For both of these actions Tom received a Meritorious Citation.

After working patrol for five years, Tom was transferred to the detective bureau where he worked various assignments such auto burglary, sex crimes and robbery. Tom’s performance as an investigator was exceptional and it earned him a Commendation in December of 1993 after explicit photos were found of a young girl and a male adult. Tom released portions of these photos to media in order to identify the two people depicted. Two hours after doing so, both parties were identified and it was determined that the photographs were taken in the city of Walnut. Tom’s hard work and determination was evident in this lengthy investigation which was brought to light over the holiday season. Tom also received a commendation for his efforts in the capture of a suspect who had kidnapped an eight year old girl from Target. Tom’s tenacity helped in the capture of the suspect preventing any further harm to the child. Tom will be remembered for his great interviewing skills which led to the confessions of many crimes.

After working as a Detective for six years, Tom promoted to Sergeant on July 6th, 1996. During his time as a Sergeant, Tom volunteered in many other positions such as Special Operations Response Team Supervisor, Volunteer Advisor, canine supervisor, and worked as the departments licensed polygrapher. In addition he was an active board member of the Whittier Police Officer Association where he served as POA President from October 2003 to September 2005.

Tom will be remembered for his hard work and dedication to the Whittier Police Department and its officers. Tom’s strong work ethic was demonstrated by the fact that he did not use any sick time even though he was ill for almost one year before being diagnosed with cancer. Tom could always be counted on at work or with his side work as a successful contractor. Tom’s hard work was a testament of his love for his family and for police work.

Sgt. Tom Lamping passed away on the morning of March 11, 2007. Tom is survived by his wife Janet, daughters Amy 29, Rebecca 27, Kaitlyn 16, and Savannah 8. Tom is also remembered by his parents Don and Betty Lamping, his niece Maria Peck, and nephews David Blake and Captain William Blake.

Funeral services will be held on March 16, 2007 at 9:00am, at Sky Rose Chapel located in Rose Hills Memorial Park 3888 Workman Mill Rd. Whittier, CA.
Any further questions contact Whittier Police Department (562) 945-8250.