City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison has presented the City Manager Leadership Award for January to the Police Department’s Property and Evidence Supervisor Barbara Carpenter.

“This is a critical job in the department when it comes to prosecuting those who commit crimes in our City. Her commitment to excellence, proactive approach to challenges, and dedication she has shown for our organization and those she has served before us, is one to be commended.  I very much appreciate her expertise in this area, and I am happy to present her with this award.”

Carpenter has been in this role for the past 13 years. Her career in Property and Evidence has spanned over 25 years, where she has made lasting impacts on the multiple agencies she has served. 

Carpenter is an active member of the California Association for Property & Evidence and has served as the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary.

Carpenter initially began her near career as a Cadet with Westminster Police Department before serving as a Community Services Officer with the Newport Beach Police Department for 10 years.

She then transitioned into the world of Property and Evidence where she worked as a P&E Technician for the Tustin Police Department before being hired as a P&E Supervisor in 2010 with the Costa Mesa Police Department.

Carpenter has excelled in maintaining a well-organized and secure property and evidence facility. Her in-depth understanding of chain of custody protocols, ensures the integrity of evidence throughout the entire process and aids in the successful prosecution of some of the most violent offenders.

Most recently, Carpenter successfully managed a large-scale project to reconfigure the agency’s offsite P&E rooms as a result of grant funds awarded to our agency through Proposition 69. She and her amazing team successfully navigated the complicated logistics of remodeling a 2,000 square foot location.

That is no easy task to safely secure and move thousands of items of evidence that are critical to the mission’s success.  In addition, Carpenter has championed to procure new P&E software for the agency which was successfully adopted and will be implemented this coming year.

Carpenter holds a bachelor’s degree in family development and family studies from Cal State Long Beach