Commemorative signs unveiled for Roseville officer

Signs on Highway 65 were officially commemorated Wednesday in honor of the late Officer Mark White, with his family and numerous friends and associates present. Signs are displayed on Highway 65 at Sunset Boulevard and Twelve Bridges Drive, which honor the memorial stretch of freeway in his name.Killed in a confrontation in the lobby of the Roseville Police Department in February 1995, White left behind a wife, Liz, and 4-year-old son Matthew. In September of that year, Liz gave birth to daughter Whitney. All three were in attendance along with Liz's husband Randy Dibb, whom she married in 1998. More than 100 people attended the ceremony at the police station, including many colleagues of White's who worked with him on the force during his three years here.White-Dibb smiled when asked how Mark, then a five-year veteran of the Sutter County Sheriff's Department, ended up working in Roseville. He was a lifelong Yuba City resident and the two were high school sweethearts."I filled out the application and sent it in," she said. "It paid better! And he instantly fell in love with Roseville."Police Chief Joel Neves remembers interviewing White before he was hired in 1992. And while White had five years of law enforcement experience, the decision to hire him had as much to do with his verve and spirit for the job, Neves recalled."He just had such enthusiasm. That's why we hired him," Neves said. "It's a different approach to policing here and Mark had those qualities."Mayor Pro Tem Rocky Rockholm worked closely with the late Bill Hughes to help implement community policing; officers would be assigned specific neighborhoods and work solely in those areas to focus on quality of life issues such as crime, noise complaints, gangs and other issues. It was a considerable departure in policy and required someone with a can-do spirit and hands-on attitude, willing to work as much on building a rapport with citizens as police work itself. White has a good fit for the job, said Rockholm, then a sergeant with the department.White was assigned to the Cherry Glen and Theiles neighborhoods."Cherry Glen especially took him into their home," Rockholm said. "They invited him into their homes to eat. Mark loved to eat." He had a sense of humor about his work, even when it got down and dirty - literally.Rockholm recalled a call from a resident about a drunk in the Cherry Glen neighborhood. White responded to the complaint, and a physical confrontation ensued. White and the man were wrestling on the ground when backup arrived. He handcuffed the man, who was taken to jail. And with a bit of panache and parody, brushed the dirt off of his uniform and asked the woman: "Is there anything else I can do for you today?"White's badge number, 71, has been retired, said Chief Neves."It's the most tragic day in the history of the Roseville Police Department," Neves said of the day Mark was shot. The signs will help keep his memory alive, something that White-Dibb wanted to ensure. Mission accomplished.He wore badge 71, and it's been retired in his honor. And now Highway 65 keeps his memory alive."It's a route that Mark drove every day," said Neves. "Even though he didn't live in Roseville, this was his home."Jason Probst can be reached at jasonp@goldcountrymedia.com