Captain Steve Barber is retired on December 27, after serving 30 years with the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department. Many residents of the city are familiar with Barber, from directing traffic in his early years, driving patrol, giving talks at Palos Verdes Estates schools, or appearing at local functions. His presence in the community is prominent, and not just because he’s 6’5.

A native Californian, Barber was raised in Rancho Palos Verdes, by father, Dr. Neil Barber, and mother, Erika. He attended Miraleste High School, where he was an All-American swimmer, and All-CIF Water Polo player, 1st Team Selection. He was also Key Club president his senior year. Barber attended the University of California, Irvine, where he was a member of Beta Theta Tau fraternity, and earned a B.A. in Social Sciences. It was during college that he went on a ride along with LAPD and loved it, and decided to pursue a career in law enforcement.

“After I graduated I applied for a dispatcher/jailer position with the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department. I spent six months as dispatcher/jailer and was then sent to the police academy to become a sworn police officer”.
After graduating from the Long Beach Police Academy in 1995, Barber held many positions within the Police Department, including Field Training Officer, Patrol Sergeant, and Detective Sergeant. He also participated in an Asset Forfeiture Task Force with the United States Customs Service. In 2021, he was promoted to Captain and worked in the support division, until now.

It's clear how much Captain Barber loves his job. “Interacting with and assisting the public is the best part of my job. I feel everyone needs a career that is rewarding. I have gone home many times after my shift and was able to say, ‘I really did make a difference today’.”

“Over my 30 year career, I have seen so many different things. I have been in fights, foot chases, and vehicle pursuits, but nothing compares to being part of saving someone’s life. Just recently, we responded to a local school for a student who was having a medical emergency. Not only did our officers administer CPR, but we then escorted the ambulance to the hospital. Luckily, our efforts helped save the student’s life”.

But there are downsides to all careers, especially for law enforcement. “The worst part of being in law enforcement is the constant scrutiny we face. Everyone knows there are some individuals out there who do not belong in law enforcement, but for the most part we are good people, who took an oath to protect the public. Constantly being under the microscope because of the actions of few bad apples is not fair to most police officers”.

Former Chief of Police, Dan Dreiling, said of Barber, “More than thirty years ago he came on-board as a police dispatcher. I remember thinking, This’ll be a summer job to this goofy college kid. But I was wrong about him. It wasn’t a summer job, and he wasn’t goofy. Police dispatching is not easy and Steve took to it like a duck to water. He has a keen mind. He’s intelligent, articulate, well written and possesses a wonderful sense of humor. As a dispatcher he proved to be poised, succinct and accurate. He was a natural. Within a few short years, Steve abandoned his position as dispatcher and moved on to become a sworn police officer. He was excited; we weren’t, having lost a good dispatcher. It was about that time I began noticing Steve had a following. He seemed oblivious to the fact officers gravitated to him; he was a leader and didn’t know it”.

Tony Best, who retired from the Department as Chief in 2020, worked with Steve his entire career. “We were patrol partners, supervisors, and later in our careers, we were part of the management team. Throughout the years, Steve always gave good counsel and was never afraid to provide his opinion. Steve’s connection with the Peninsula community was a great asset and I was always amazed at how many people he knew. Over the years, Steve has proven that sometimes a good laugh can defuse the most difficult of situations. Whether it was a joke in the break room to lighten the mood or a humorous remark during a tense moment, he knew how to bring a smile to the faces of those around him. His laughter was infectious, and his ability to find light in dark times was one of his greatest gifts”

Captain Barber tries to balance the pressure and responsibility of his position in his time off. “I am a huge Green Bay Packers fan and football season is my favorite time of the year”. So much so that he and his family have traveled to Green Bay, Wisconsin a few times to visit Lambeau Field. He’s also a self-professed “foodie” and loves trying new restaurants around the South Bay. Barber also loves to travel, having been to Europe and Mexico, but his favorite destination is the Caribbean, specifically on cruises. He is married, has 22 year old triplets, and lives in the South Bay.

Had he not chosen law enforcement as a career, Barber says he would have been a history teacher and water polo coach. Fortunately for the City of Palos Verdes Estates, he chose law enforcement.

Captain Barber retired on December 27, 2024

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Amy (Barber) Bergant is a proud Miraleste High School alumna, who grew up in Rancho Palos Verdes.

She attended the University of Southern California, getting her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from The Annenberg School for Journalism, where she was also a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. She currently lives in South Redondo Beach with her husband of almost 25 years, twin 14 year old daughters, and their 2 cats, George and Henry. When not chauffering her kids around, she enjoys hanging out with friends, eating good food, listening to great music, watching ridiculous television shows and going to the beach.