She talked with the young Tustin officer as he carefully wrapped the evidence before submitting it. Then making her way to her office, she looked at the large screen mounted on the wall, taking note of the small blips representing patrol cars moving about a maze of streets on a city map. The monotone crackle of dispatchers over the radio summoning officers to a call intermittently interrupted the quiet of her office.
The sights and sounds of the police department evoke feelings in Thomas that confirm she is exactly where she is supposed to be.
Thomas briefly thought she might be ready to retire and return to a career as a marriage and family therapist, which was her life before entering the police academy more than 20 years ago. Tustin Civilian Police Cmmdr. Katarina Thomas. An introverted kid who preferred reading Jane Austen novels and participating in summer book clubs rather than playing sports, Thomas wanted a life in public service but was unsure she was cut out for it. As a teen in , she thought about joining the US Navy, but was quickly shut down by those closest to her — her family, friends and boyfriend at the time.
However, Thomas also had another passion — learning the intricacies of how the mind works and decoding the mystique of human behavior. She became a licensed marriage and family therapist. She pinpoints her interest in becoming a marriage and family therapist back to her school yard days. Although a self-described bookworm, Thomas was friends with everyone — the brains, the jocks, the popular and not. While working as a marriage and family therapist in Covina, Thomas also maintained a side job as a bartender.
On many nights, LAPD officers would come to the bar after their shifts and swap stories over Bushmills on the rocks. She was apprehensive about whether she had the physical ability and assertiveness for the job.
