Patrol officer is man of many talents

 

By Wes Woods, On-Line Forty-Niner

Tuesday, November 10, 1998

Many people have hobbies. Cal State Long Beach patrol officer John Bellah has more.

The Pacific Palisades native owns a classic 1963 Dodge patrol vehicle that was used in actual California police work from 1963-65. Bellah said he takes it to various police car shows to show it off.

"It's state history, law enforcement history and automobile history," Bellah gruffly said of the restored vehicle.

Despite keeping it primarily garaged, he said the Dodge can get up to speeds of 135 miles per hour.

"At 60 miles an hour is when it really starts to take off," he said.

The married man with twin daughters said he also completed all of the mechanical work for it, which is another hobby.

In the University Bookstore sits another pastime. Underneath the section "faculty authors" is a book entitled "Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler Police Cars: 1979-1994," which Bellah co-authored.

He has worked on four such books, with one more to be released. While the forward of the book is credited to Maurice (Maury) J. Hannigan - narrator of "Real Stories of the Highway Patrol," Bellah said he wrote and faxed it to Hannigan because of time constraints.

Hannigan made necessary corrections, and faxed it back for the book. Bellah said he took more than 1,000 pictures of patrol cars just for the book.

Bellah also said he writes for various automobile publications such as "Old Cars and Parts Weekly."

In the University Police Building is yet another hobby. Encased in glass sits a massive collection of colorful police patches.

The patches easily number in the hundreds, with numerous law enforcement counties and states represented.

Bellah is also a nostalgia buff. He said he likes to collect antiques with his wife.

He said he loves 1940s, 1950s and 1960s cars, movies and television shows. His musical tastes include Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.

Then there are the classes he teaches other officers and citizens about counterfeit documents.

A Chicago police department flew him out to give his talk. To help him with the discussions, he has an enormous white sheet covered with fake drivers' licenses - which he said is another pastime.

Bellah has been a law enforcement officer with CSULB for the past 10 years.

The last two-and-a-half semesters he was involved with special investigations. Now he is involved with patrol. Despite the change, he said he likes it.

He could have been involved with show business if he wanted, Bellah said. From the 1940s to the 1960s, his father was a former Saturday Evening Post writer turned screenwriter. He wrote "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" with John Wayne and "Thunder of Drums," with Charles Bronson.

However, the "self-centered and egotistical" aspect of it turned him off. His sister witnessed this first hand, he said. In Hawaii, as a flight attendant, she asked Lucille Ball if she would like any coffee. With no response forthcoming, she asked again. And again. Many times she asked until finally one of her aids spoke. "No, she doesn't want any coffee, she doesn't speak to common people."

Before Bellah was ever a police officer, however, he became a licensed mechanic in Santa Monica around the age of 19. After working for eight years, he said his hobby had now turned into an unwanted career.

In 1977 he went to Santa Monica Community College to become an officer. From here, he worked 11 years with USC's police department.

At USC, he recalled an unusual case he was called to. Two male freshman drove to Hollywood and took a prostitute back to the campus dorm.

After paying $30 for services, the prostitute then lifted up her shirt and said 'I'm a boy.' The students wanted him arrested for fraud, he said.

"The prostitute said there should be no arrest because it was an oral agreement," Bellah said.

With seniority and a good work schedule, he was happy at USC, but "there was an offer here and I took it. I think I made the right decision." Bellah said he eventually plans to retire at CSULB.

For the present, he said he plans to keep on doing police work, following his personal code.

"A wise fellow told me, 'whatever you do, conduct yourself like a professional and a gentleman.'

"In this business [police work], you'll see more than most people will in a lifetime," he said. "I take steps to balance everything out, see other things in the world, or the job [gets] to you."

"He takes it seriously and strives to his job the best he can," said Lt. Judi King of the University Police.

It could be said of his hobbies as well.