Santa Barbara County and the City of Lompoc recently lost one of their finest. Jonathan Edward Bailey, 63, of Lompoc, died at his wife’s side on April 8, 2016. He was a man who came from humble beginnings, living most of his childhood in Modesto, Reading, Salida, and Stockton. Jon worked as a farm laborer, service station attendant, and truck driver prior to joining the Lompoc Police Department in 1983.
Jon was a journeyman line-level police officer. He worked for more than 30 years as a Lompoc police officer and Santa Barbara County deputy sheriff, serving as a patrolman, SWAT team member, firearms instructor, field training officer, and Explorer Advisor. He also blended his work and his passion for animals by becoming both a K-9 handler and a mounted officer.
Jon and his family were a huge part of the Lompoc Police Department. At one point, the top of the agency roster looked like the name of an Irish law firm: Bailey, Bailey, Bailey, Bailey, and Bailey. In addition to Jon, Sandi, his wonderful wife of 37 years, worked as a property officer; Jon’s brother, Joe, as a sergeant; Jon’s son, Jason, as a police officer; and his nephew, Joey, as an Explorer and later a jailer. When he wasn’t working, Jon enjoyed the cowboy way. He and Sandi shared a passion for horses. They lived on a 10-acre ranch and rode and trained horses whenever they could, and Jon often helped gather and brand cattle with his friends. Jon’s other son, Nick, followed in his father’s cowboy footsteps, while his daughter, Amber, brought some balance to the family with her free spirit and a wanderlust to experience distant places.
