Last week, the City of Los Angeles and my office lost a dear friend. Captain Alberto "Albert" Torres, a veteran Park Ranger who served with the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks for 40 years, died of a heart attack after patrolling parks affected by the Saddleridge Fire.
Capt. Torres was always compassionate, kind, and patient, whether working with neighborhood groups or people experiencing homelessness. He was a dedicated public servant, eager to answer questions and offer assistance, and always made himself available to the community, including evenings or weekends.
Over the course of his long career, Capt. Torres worked in every park in the city and served in every position and assignment in the Park Ranger Division, including as acting chief. Captain Torres also created the division's special unit, which focuses on homeless outreach and cleanups throughout LA City parks. A special person who made Los Angeles a better place to live for all its residents.
In Council District 2, Capt. Torres worked closely with my office in many capacities, including serving as an important resource and partner for community cleanup efforts and homelessness outreach, in addition to leading tours of area parks to share his vast knowledge on plants and wildlife. Just last month, he served as one of our speakers for the Jewish Federation's NLP Group Project on the topic of the LA River.
My staff and I will miss him tremendously, and we are grateful for his proud legacy of service to the City of Los Angeles