San Gabriel Valley : Police Face Off With Barbers to Raise Money for Agency, Foundation

Pasadena’s acting police chief, Bob Huff, had a close shave Tuesday. No, it wasn’t a confrontation with armed bank robbers. It was the Police Department’s fourth annual Fuzz for Funds beard-growing contest that culminated with a public shave-off.

Since early November, Huff and 69 other Police Department employees have been growing and grooming their goatees and Vandyke beards to raise $10,803 to benefit Foothill Family Services, a nonprofit family counseling agency, and the Pasadena Police Foundation.

“It has been kind of a novel idea. Not many [police] departments in the U.S. allow their officers to grow beards,” said Huff, as Joe Baerga of Old YMCA barbershop shaved away his beard on a stage in the Pasadena Plaza.

Pasadena Police usually allow only well-trimmed mustaches that must be kept above the corner of the mouth.

Fuzz for Funds has raised more than $60,000 for charities and has helped the police foundation pay for two patrol cars and two police dogs.

Police Sgt. Jay D’Angelo, sporting a sharp beard, was the department’s top fund-raiser this year, bringing in $2,755 in sponsorship and winning a donated cruise. . . .