LAKEPORT >> With news headlines like “Police video sparks outrage,” to the rise of the Blue Lives Matter movement, many across the nation have questioned policing in the United States, causing a nationwide social divide. To help close that gap, local curators at the Historic Courthouse Museum in Lakeport have a new exhibit to showcase the message.
The exhibit, Some Gave All: A Salute to Lake County Law Enforcement, will run from Feb. 1 through March 25 on the second floor of the museum.
Glass displays will house a series of historical and contemporary objects provided by local agencies from around the county. Interim Assistant Curator Jessica Sekhon said they are the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Lakeport and Clearlake Police departments, the California Highway Patrol, Lake County Jail, California State Parks — Clear Lake, and the California State Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Historical technology will be one of the many sections highlighted with items like an ink and fingerprint kit, a radar detector and police car sirens from the 1940s, given by Lakeport Police Department Chief Brad Rasmussen and other law enforcement agencies. Historic patches, badges, photographs of former officers, and uniforms from different decades will also be on display.
Perhaps one of the most sacred portions of the exhibit will be a memorial section for the fallen officers of Lake County, said Sekhon. “We really want to highlight some of the things they accomplished while on duty here in the county,” she explained.
She made sure one, in particular, had his spot on the memorial. She said, “I was fortunate enough to go on a ride along with Deputy Robert Rumfelt once. He gave me an inside perspective on what it means to be in the field. It’s not easy. I have a lot of respect and admiration for their work. It was devastating when I found out he passed away.”
Rumfelt was a lifelong resident of the county and served in both the Lakeport Police Department and the LCSO since 1997. He died on a Tuesday night in August of last year after assisting in an arrest of a man involved in an altercation. The news touched the hearts of many, including Sekhon, moving the community to come out and honor the fallen deputy during a procession.
With several artifacts and themed sections, the well-rounded exhibit aims to do two things: honor local law enforcement and educate on the field.
“We want to honor our past and current law enforcement for all they’ve done to protect our community and highlight what it means to be on the job. It’s also an educational opportunity for both adults and kids. For example, not everyone knows that the Department of Fish and Wildlife are also law enforcement,” said Sekhon.
While curators seek to accomplish both through an intimate, timelapse-like exhibit, Sekhon said there’s a more profound message for all to hear:
“In today’s society, there’s a negative view of law enforcement. I think people just think you get pulled over by an officer when they do so much more. So, I hope that adults and children get an insight look into it.”
