Sergeant Christine Murray
Homicide Detail
Sergeant Christine Murray has been a member of the Orange County Sheriff's Department for (21) twenty years. Sergeant Murray is currently assigned to the Sex Crimes/Family Violence Detail.
Sergeant Murray began her career in 1980 with a (2) two-year assignment to the Central Woman's Jail and in 1982 began a patrol assignment in South Operations. In 1985, she was chosen to participate in a new plainclothes street enforcement detail, the Career Criminal Apprehension Team. She was selected by the Saddleback Valley Kiwanis Club as Deputy of the year for her efforts to this special enforcement team.
In 1986, Sergeant Murray was promoted to Investigator and was assigned to details responsible for a variety of investigations.
In 1995 and 1996, while assigned to the Homicide Detail, Sergeant Murray received Orange County Sheriff's Department Medal of Merit for her work on (2) two complex murder investigations.
In 1996, she was also the recipient of the "Doris Tate" award, presented annually by the Governor of California for exceptional service to victims of crime and in 1997 received an award for excellence in policing from the international Association of Women Police.
In addition to her current duties, Sergeant Murray provides instruction to community and professional organizations, as well as, police officers on topics of tactical communications, personal safety, investigative and interview techniques, injury causation, family violence, sex crimes, and homicide investigation.
Sergeant Steve Szabo
Sex Crimes/Family Violence
Sergeant Steve Szabo is a 22 year veteran of the Orange County Sheriff's Department and currently supervises the North Investigations Detail. Sergeant Szabo has an extensive patrol background, having worked in patrol for approximately (10) ten years. While in patrol he served as a field training officer for newly transferred deputies into patrol. Sergeant Szabo fostered and reinforced the concept of community oriented policing by engaging in a variety of self-initiated activities and meeting local business owners, home owner association members, and community activist groups to resolve issues enhancing the quality of life for the residents of the communities he served. Sergeant Szabo received high marks for his patrol work and was once officially commended by the Department for using non-lethal force to disarm and arrest a subject armed with a handgun.
Sergeant Szabo served as a field training officer for several years and eventually transferred to the Sheriff's Training Division. He served as an instructor at the Sheriff's Tactical Center known as "Laser Village". He attended the nationally acclaimed Instructor Development Course, at Los Angeles Police Department academy and provided classroom instruction at the Sheriff's Academy on the subject of patrol procedures, conducting building searches, and officer safety techniques. Upon his promotion to Sergeant he was assigned to Jail Operations at the James A. Musick Facility and later promoted to his current assignment in the Criminal Investigation Division. Sergeant Szabo remains active in Department sponsored functions, having recently assisted in the annual "Run for the Heroes", a charitable fund raising event for the families of officers and deputies killed in the line or injured in the line of duty.
Sergeant Szabo possesses a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Psychology. He has attended numerous advanced training classes, seminars, and professional conferences covering police related topics and conducting criminal investigations of robberies, burglaries, and homicides.
Sergeant Gary
Smith
Economic/Computer Crimes
Sergeant Gary Smith started his Law Enforcement Career in 1982 by completing his training in Drug Interdiction and Vessel Boardings in the United States Coast Guard. After his active duty obligations were completed, Gary began his career with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and graduated the Basic Academy in August of 1986.
Gary served two years in the Jail Division and transferred to Operations in 1989. While working as a patrol deputy Gary worked in the areas of Trabuco Canyon, Rancho Santa Margarita, Laguna Niguel, and Lake Forest and was selected as a Field Training Officer tasked with training numerous patrol deputies. In addition to his patrol functions, Gary also served as a Community Policing Deputy in the City if Lake Forest and worked closely with members of the community, city staff, and deputies in operations.
During this time, he developed the department’s Bicycle Patrol procedures by drafting the departments Bicycle Patrol Manual and became the department’s first POST certified Bicycle Patrol Instructor and authored the OCSD Bicycle Patrol Course that was subsequently POST certified.
Gary went on to train hundreds of bicycle patrol officers for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, as well as officers from around the state. Gary Smith was promoted to Sergeant in July of 1997. He then transferred to the Jail Division and served over two years at the Men’s Central Jail and the Theo Lacy Branch Jail.
In September of 1999, Gary was assigned to the Harbor Division and worked as a shift supervisor and watch commander for the division. While assigned to the Harbor Division Gary completed the necessary training for this assignment that included Fire Fighting, Rescue, Navigation, and Law Enforcement.
Gary earned his Master Boat Operator certificate from the California Department of State Boating and Waterways. Sergeant Smith was later transferred to the Criminal Investigation Division in August of 2002 and is currently assigned to the Economic/Computer Crimes Detail.
Sergeant Gary Smith has received numerous commendations during his career and is a graduate of the California State Supervisory Leadership Institute conducted with Cal. State Long Beach.
Sergeant Janet
Lonich
General Investigations (North)
Sergeant Janet Lonich has been with the Sheriff's Department since 1985. In her 17 years of service she spent 7 years as a Deputy in corrections. In 1993 Janet was transferred to Patrol the City of Lake Forest. While in Lake Forest, she was a Field Training Officer and a member of the bike patrol. In 1995, she was awarded Deputy of the Year by the Saddleback Valley Kiwanis Club and inn 1996 Janet received an Official Department Commendation for the recovery of a large amount of tar heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana, which was hidden in the glove box of a car, ultimately ending in the arrest of two subjects.
In 1997, Janet was transferred to the Lake Forest Community Policing Unit and was instrumental in the planning and developing of the city’s first senior volunteer program. She also worked closely with middle and high school kids and held bicycle safety rodeos at the elementary schools.
Prior to her assignment to Criminal Investigations, she was a patrol sergeant in the city of San Clemente. Along with her current duties, she is an Explorer Advisor and takes pride in assisting the young teens in preparing for the academy, conducting weekly meetings, working community events, and team competitions.
