Palos Verdes Estates Police Chief Celebrates Milestone With Department

PALOS VERDES ESTATES, CA — The chief of the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department marked a milestone with the department earlier this week.

Luke Hellinga celebrated his 25th anniversary with the department, city officials said.

“From Police Intern to Chief, you exemplify Relationship-Based Policing and continue to lead with integrity and commitment,” officials said.

Hellinga started with the department as an intern in 2001, the police department said.

“He then moved on to becoming a Service Officer handling dispatch and jail duties, later entering the academy, and becoming a PVE Police Officer,” police said.

After graduating from the Orange County Sheriff’s Academy in 2005, “he worked his way up through the ranks” at the police department, according to the city. His work assignments have included patrol officer, field training officer, detective, corporal sergeant, patrol watch commander, detective sergeant and captain.

“In 2009, Captain Hellinga earned the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award for making 100 DUI arrests in one year,” city officials said.

A decade later, his work on solving a series of violent armed home invasion robberies earned him “the Centurion Award for ‘Excellence in Criminal Investigations’ from the Peace Officers Association of Los Angeles County,” officials said.

Hellinga was appointed chief of police in June 2024, according to the department.

“Chief Hellinga brings diplomatic leadership to the City of Palos Verdes Estates,” then-interim City Manager Kerry Kallman told The Daily Breeze in 2024, “as seen through his successful tenure and established relationships with City Council, staff, community members, and neighboring agencies.”

The department commended Hellinga for his 25 years, saying his “dedication and service do not go unnoticed.”