Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton presented a proclamation to Gloria and Richard Pink, and Beverly Pink-Wolfe, in gratitude for their support of the department. (photo by Edwin Folven)

The Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations-Valley Bureau thanked Pink’s Hot Dogs on Feb. 28 for answering the call for service in feeding 200 people during a training event for volunteers last October.

LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton presented a proclamation to Pink’s Hot Dogs owners Richard and Gloria Pink, and Beverly Pink-Wolfe. He said Pink’s was gracious to provide food at the training event, and the department is grateful to private partners like Pink’s for their support.

“Pink’s answered the call and we had a very successful training day for our reserves,” Hamilton said. “The huge thing here is we always talk about police working with the community and the community working with police, and Pink’s is doing it. We reached out to different people around the city to see who could help us put on a training day for our reserves, and Pink’s met the mark. They worked closely with the department in our community outreach unit in the San Fernando Valley and the rest is history.”

Richard Pink said the stand partners with the LAPD at four or five community events each year, including events in the Wilshire, Hollywood and Pacific divisions. Pink’s is a perennial crowd-pleaser at the Wilshire Division’s annual National Night Out Against Crime event in Poinsettia Park and at Hollywood Police Activities League events.

“Every time they ask us to cater their events, maybe a fundraiser, we do, just out of the goodness of our heart and our willingness to support and recognize how important this is for our community,” Pink said. “They keep us safe, they keep us secure, and we want to recognize that and show our appreciation.”

Hamilton, who previously served at the Hollywood Division, said he visited Pink’s many times over the years and fondly remembered seeing the late Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge at the stand. Pink’s Hot Dogs offers the “Mr. Los Angeles” Tom LaBonge Dog on its menu in tribute to the beloved councilman.

“I used to see Tom LaBonge here a lot back in the day. He would take pictures here and talk to the people going to Pink’s,” Hamilton said. “He was a great guy. He helped me so much in my career when I was working in Hollywood. There was no better ambassador for L.A. when he was with us.”