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Guttenberg native retires from career with Los Angeles PD

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Deb (Kickbush) Dickerson, who recently retired from the Los Angeles Police Department, is pictured with her family: in front, Olivia; back from left, Deb, Zoe, Nathan and husband Manny. (Photo submitted)

Officer Debra (Kickbush) Dickerson, a native of Guttenberg, recently retired from the Los Angeles Police Department after 27½ years.

Officer Dickerson began her career in December 1989 as a police recruit in the police academy, graduating as an officer in May 1990.  As a police officer, she worked assignments in Hollywood Division, Foothill Division, Hollenbeck Vice, Newton Division and Planning and Research Division before transferring to Air Support Division in December 1996.

Officer Dickerson began her tenure at Air Support Division as a Tactical Flight Officer, responsible for navigation, call selection, officer safety, officer tactics, handling vehicle pursuits, foot pursuits and night operations. As a Tactical Flight Officer, she also worked as a member of the over-water tactical unit, a crew chief on the UH-1 and in Special Flights Section, responsible for high altitude surveillance.

In 2005, Debra became the first female Chief Tactical Flight Officer for the LAPD and was responsible for the recruitment, selection and training of new Tactical Flight Officers and acquisition of specialized equipment.

In March 2007, Officer Dickerson was selected as a Command Pilot and began her helicopter training. Over the course of the next 10 years, Debra flew flight operations and surveillance missions to assist the patrol officers on the ground.

During her 20 years at Air Support Division, Debra accumulated 10,217 flight hours.

Over her 27½ year career, Officer Dickerson was also a member of the Department’s Peer Counselling Cadre and Crisis Response Team where she spent countless hours assisting and providing counselling to fellow officers in their time of need.  

In October 2001, she was selected as part of a Department contingency to travel to New York City following the events of Sept. 11 to assist members of the NYPD and Port Authority at Ground Zero.

Officer Dickerson flew her last flight on March 31, 2017 with her husband, Officer Manny Dickerson, who is also a pilot at Air Support Division. They have three beautiful children, Zoe, Nathan and Olivia, who will now be fortunate enough to have a full-time mommy.

Officer Debra Dickerson is the daughter of Loris and Rosalie Kickbush of Guttenberg.

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