When David Irving, 26, was in kindergarten, he handcuffed a fellow classmate with plastic handcuffs. The school had to call his mom that day to come confiscate his toy cuffs.
No longer will Irving’s handcuffs be confiscated, as he’s the Manhattan Beach Police Department’s newest addition, just having been sworn in on Monday morning.
Out of a pool of about 150 applicants for the two available positions, Irving was the only applicant hired, said Chief Eve Irvine of the Manhattan Beach Police Department. The department is still in the process of finding a candidate to fill the second opening.
Irving’s family and friends watched as Irving recited the oath of office and was welcomed into a new family. “We all kind of are a big family here, so he’s in good hands here,” Irvine said to the crowd, which included Irving’s parents, girlfriend, siblings and members of the police and fire departments. “I know David is a great addition — he brings with him experience and he brings with him integrity.”
Other city officials congratulated Irving. “These jobs are hard. It’s all about what happens at two in the morning,” said City Manager Dave Carmany to Irving, at the ceremony. “You’re keeping the community safe, and we at City Hall really appreciate that.”
Irving grew up in Temecula and decided to pursue a career in law enforcement in college. He attended California State University San Marcos, where he double-majored in criminology and sociology. During college, he also volunteered at a police station. “I did my ride-alongs, I got my feet wet,” he said. He went through the academy and subsequently joined the Riverside Sheriff’s Department, where he served for three years.
“He has a great work ethic, a great past pool of knowledge — I believed he could be a great addition to Manhattan Beach Police Department,” Irvine said. “He’s got integrity, based on all his past performance, and so that’s something we value here.”
