Driving along Cliff Drive on a recent Monday, Laguna Beach civilian officer Alfred Casas spotted a 19-year-old holding a skateboard.
Casas, 6-foot-4 and burly, calmly approached the man and respectfully asked if he knew about a city ordinance that requires skateboarders, regardless of age, to wear helmets.
"I wasn't riding the board, so I didn't think I needed a helmet," said the skater, who identified himself only as John.
Casas, who retired from the Fullerton Police Department in 2010 after 36 years in law enforcement, accepted the explanation before going into the ordinance's specifics. Casas then handed the teen a copy of the law and headed back to his car.
"People are shocked that [Laguna Beach] requires helmets on adults," says Casas, who patrols city streets twice a week. "Most juveniles are aware of the rules. Kids get the word out."