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Mooney embraced and epitomized the police motto "To Protect and to Serve" his entire life. He was a member of the United States Marine Corps for 29 years, overseas and in Iraq. He rose to the rank of Major before finally retiring in 2010. He continued to protect and serve during his 21 years as a Contra Costa County Sheriff's Deputy before becoming an officer for the city of Orinda for more than six years.
In 2013, Mooney joined the MPD where he served as a detective, and explained in a Lamorinda Weekly interview that year, "I live in Moraga. I've been involved with the schools and the community for quite a while and I have a vested interest in keeping things safe here."
Mooney wore many hats as a rangemaster, a field training officer and as the president of the Moraga Police Officers Association, but the one position that was very close to his heart was being the organizer of the local Toys for Tots drive. "I have been involved with the Toys for Tots program since my Marine Corps Reserve days in the '90s," he said during a 2018 interview for a Lamorinda Weekly article. "I count it as one of the most important and satisfying endeavors in which I have participated. A great program for a great cause." It was the first of many opportunities this reporter had to interview Det. Mooney.
During the Toy Drive event the following week, he spoke off-topic and told me, with a straight face, that the Moraga police station was haunted. "No one wants to stay there alone late at night, because they keep hearing things," he said. Not wanting to miss the opportunity of a great Halloween article, the following October I emailed him for more details. When he didn't respond, I began to ask others who worked in the town offices, but everyone said they'd never heard that the place was haunted or that anything out of the ordinary happened at night. I came to the conclusion that Det. Mooney was likely "yanking my chain" and putting me through my paces - testing the new reporter, as it were.
Mooney offered me insight into the latest scams that were being perpetrated against local citizens or the public in general. He was excited to get the word out as to all of the various schemes befalling unsuspecting people, and more so, the elderly. He almost spoke faster than this reporter could take notes, and it was clear that he hoped the article would help prevent more scams from happening to the people under his watch.
One of the last interviews I had with Det. Mooney was for the TJ Maxx robbery article. I was already at the store when he arrived on the scene and joked, "You got here faster than I did. How did you hear about it?" To which I replied, "I'm one of the witnesses." The expression on his face was priceless - as if he was trying to figure out whether I was kidding or not. The fact that I was in the process of being interviewed by another officer gave him his answer.
Although I only knew Det. Mooney on a professional level, it quickly became clear to me that he was a man who meant business when it came to fighting crime, but he had a lighter side to him that he let escape every now and then. Moraga will truly miss Det. Kevin Mooney - a man who made it his life's mission to protect and serve.
Donations can be made to Cpl. Mooney's family through the Fund a Hero program at Kevin Mooney Memorial Fund.
https://porac.org/fundraiser/kevin-mooney-memorial-fund
Reach the reporter at:
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA