Pat Rodgers first came to Irvine when most of the city was orange groves and bean fields. Stationed at the Marine Corps Air Facility in Tustin, he drove the narrow two lane roadway to the big Marine base at El Toro every day. In those days traffic was minimal and the scent of oranges was in the air.
After serving four years as a non-commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps, Pat was discharged and entered Orange Coast Community College in Costa Mesa, California.
After graduating with an Associate Arts Degree in Police Science, Pat was hired as a Police Officer by the Costa Mesa Police Department.
In 1975, Pat had the opportunity to go to work for the new police department in Irvine. As a charter member of the department, Pat was part of a team that built Community Policing into a nationwide model.
During the next twenty-seven years, he worked a variety of job assignments and was promoted several times. His last seventeen years was as a Police Lieutenant, managing one of several bureaus within the department. Pat's efforts directly contributed to Irvine becoming one of America's safest cities.
For a number of years, he also served as the Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Irvine. This role consisted of planning and training for disasters, both natural and manmade.
Over the years the Public Safety Team built a solid Police–Citizen Partnership in Irvine. Many people know Pat from having him in their homes and businesses conducting security surveys, hosting Neighborhood Watch meetings and giving presentations on safety issues. He has shaken the hands of Irvine children at DARE graduations, instructed them at bicycle safety rodeos and coached them in youth football and baseball. For twenty-seven years, Pat was honored to serve the people of Irvine.
Pat has lived in Irvine for the past thirty years with his wife Jan. He has three adult children, Rick, Mike & Cynthia, daughter-in-laws, Kelly & Teresa and four grandchildren, Ashley, Mia, Matt & Emily. His hobbies are real estate investing, reading mystery novels and barbershop singing with Irvine's own, California Promise Chorus.
Pat has been active in the Irvine community serving as a youth football and baseball coach for a number of years.
As the President of the Irvine Police Association for seventeen years, he developed and managed the annual July 4th Community "Concert on the Green and Fireworks Show."
He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Irvine Sister City Foundation and is a member of the Irvine Spectrum Rotary Club.
Pat was recently appointed to the City of Irvine Community Services Commission.
Pat has always been a strong believer in education and continued school throughout his career and holds the following degrees:
- Bachelors Degree in Police Administration
- Masters Degree in Public Communication
- Masters Degree in Management
- Doctorate in Human Behavior with an emphasis on Leadership.
Professional development training includes:
- The FBI's National Academy
- California Peace Officer Standards and Training Command College
- L.A. Police Department's West Point Leadership Program.
After retiring in 2002, Pat formed his own consulting company, accepting a contract with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). He went to Afghanistan to help train their National Police and was assigned to manage the Police Training Program consisting of six training centers and 98 international trainers. Together, they trained in excess of 5,000 new police officers.
Pat next accepted a DOJ contract and went to Iraq as a trainer at the Basic Police Academy in Baghdad.
