Auburn Police, Corrine honor and remember Justin | Chief for a Day
Published 1:16 pm Thursday, August 25, 2016
Reporter staff
The Auburn Police Department honored 3-year-old Justin Lazara and his big sister, Corrine, during the Chief for a Day ceremony on Aug. 18.
Justin, who was chosen as the Auburn 2016 Chief for a Day, died of cancer July 3. His sister stepped in and was sworn in as Lil’ Assistant Chief Corrine Lazara in memory of her brother.
Auburn Police Officer Jessica Smith said in an email, “She is a wonderful and strong girl with a family that is amazing.”
Auburn Police staff gave Justin his own Chief for a Day moment earlier this year. When Officer Jennifer K. McNaught received her graduation certificate, she gave it to McNaught.
“In return, (McNaught) pinned his Chief for a Day badge on (Justin),” Smith recalled. “We knew he wouldn’t make it to the official Chief for a Day, so we did a small day for him.”
The Chief for a Day event celebrates the lives of children who have been diagnosed with a chronic illness. Thirty children were given a day that focused on their dreams, not their illness, according to the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center.
Fitted in a hand-tailored uniform from their sponsoring agency, each child was transported by police motorcade to the training center in Burien, where they were sworn in as a chief or sheriff. Kids and their families were treated to food and activities after the ceremony.
