CHICO POLICE DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE

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1 Awards Ceremony Results The Chico Police Department held an Awards Ceremony today, July 19, 2012 and presented the following awards: Class A Commendation presented to the TARGET Team TARGET Team Members: Sergeant Dave Britt, Officer David Bailey, Officer Bill Dawson, Officer Greg Rogers, Officer Terry Tupper, Code Enforcement Officer Raul Gonzalez, and Code Enforcement Officer John Rollo The TARGET Team is being recognized with a Class A Commendation for their exceptional work throughout 2011 and continuing into The unit is truly a Community-Oriented Policing team. Each individual member of this highly pro-active team has become an integral part of its success. The unit has made substantive improvements at chronic problem locations and entire neighborhoods as a result of their tireless efforts. They have demonstrated a high work ethic, tenaciousness and unrelenting drive to improve the City of Chico. It is regularly noted that members of the unit are pleasant to work with when coordinating activities with other city departments and internal Police Department units. They strive to establish good working relationships with the business groups and citizens who have a common desire to improve the community in which we all live. Their dedication and hard work has not gone unnoticed. They have made a remarkable impact on the transient population and have many success stories of reuniting individuals with their families through the HELP program. In recent months there have been several operations where they have targeted problem locations that were serious drains on patrol resources due to excessive calls for service. The members of the unit, under the leadership of Sergeant Britt, conducted methodical investigations, coordinated with multiple outside agencies, and culminated the investigations with successful endings. This Class A Commendation is being awarded to all TARGET Team members who, while serving in an official capacity, and in the best interest of the department, distinguished themselves through the accomplishments of their outstanding service to the community. 1

2 Medal of Merit presented to Sergeant James Fryar Sergeant James Fryar is awarded the Medal of Merit for his actions as the supervisor of the Department Street Crimes Unit (SCU) for the last six years. He was the original supervisor when the team was created. The mission of the newly created team was to focus on street level crime. This included narcotic violations, other felony level crimes, and recently, gang activity. The SCU has hunted down and apprehended dangerous fugitives, to include murder and other high priority suspects. During the past six years Sergeant Fryar and his detectives have accumulated quite a record in both quantity and quality of arrests, and their overall work product. Under his leadership, the unit made 1,823 total arrests (855 fresh felony arrests, 344 frest misdemeanor arrests), and 435 major investigations were initiated and concluded. Sergeant Fryar s team conducted a total of 4,205 searches. The unit seized over 470 pounds of marijuana, six pounds of cocaine, nearly three and a half pounds of methamphetamine and three pounds of heroin. Almost ten thousand prescription pills/ narcotics were seized. In total, over $800,000 (approximate street value) in illegal drugs were removed from the community. They wrote and served 162 search warrants, with 202 weapons seized and nearly $300,000 in cash and property retained per asset forfeiture laws. Sergeant Fryar created the vision and focus of this highly productive team. It was under his leadership that it flourished and became such an efficient and excellent unit. He laid the foundation and set the bar for the continuing success of a highly regarded detective unit within the Police Department. Sergeant Fryar met the criteria for a Medal of Merit in that: his performance extended beyond the normal work assignment; his contributions resulted in improved efficiency and increased effectiveness; he took extra initiative; he developed personal expertise above and beyond the required duty; and his accomplishments bring credit to the department as a whole as well as himself. This Medal of Merit is being awarded to Sergeant James Fryar who, while serving in an official capacity, distinguished himself through his meritorious service. Medal of Courage presented to Officer Jobe Sandhagen 2

3 Officer Jobe Sandhagen is being awarded the Medal of Courage for his actions on June 9, Officer Sandhagen was enroute to a call when he noticed smoke coming from the area of Lorinda Lane. He diverted to Lorinda to investigate. He saw a large amount of smoke coming from a residence on the north side of the street. He called in his observations and ran to the door of the residence to check to see if the house was occupied. Finding the door locked, he immediately kicked it in to gain access. Smoke poured out of the house as he entered it. He encountered a 58-year old man asleep on the couch. He roused the man who woke up angry and confused. Officer Sandhagen had to struggle to control the man who was combative and uncooperative. Officer Sandhagen dragged the man outside to safety. He had to handcuff the man who did not grasp the seriousness of what had just happened. Officer Sandhagen asked the man if there was anyone else in the home. By this time Officer Sandhagen had enlisted the aid of a neighbor who arrived on scene. Believing there was someone else still in the residence, Officer Sandhagen asked the citizen to stay with the confused man while he ran back inside the smoke-filled house. The citizen described Officer Sandhagen s actions as getting down low and rushing into the house. The citizen watched Officer Sandhagen do this several times. He would come out for a few breaths and then return into the house for three to five seconds before the smoke forced him out. The Fire Department arrived and put out the fire. It was determined that there was no one else in the residence. Officer Sandhagen s alert observation was the first notification of the fire and undoubtedly gave the Fire Department a much better chance to save the home. Officer Sandhagen demonstrated bravery when he kicked in the door without hesitation. This was a true structure fire with a life in immediate danger. His quick action and bravery likely saved a life. The situation was hazardous. There was a strong possibility at the time that he could have suffered serious injury. His actions showed professional judgment and did not jeopardize the mission. The Medal of Courage is being awarded to Officer Jobe Sandhagen, who while serving in an official capacity, distinguished himself conspicuously by courageous action in the line of duty. In March and April of 2012, the of the Year awards were presented to the following employees and volunteers: 3

4 Civilian Employee of the Year: Kim Varner For meritoriously distinguishing herself, upon nomination by her co-workers and selection by the Chief of Police, as the Chico Police Department 2012 Civilian Employee of the Year. Kim joined the Chico Police Department Records Section in December 2008 where she quickly fit in and got right to work. She is willing to go out of her way to help, not just some of the time, but all the time and always makes herself available when anyone has a question. She is very conscientious and hard working. Her helpfulness is complimented by the fact that she never stops smiling, always has a great attitude, and is constantly happy and upbeat. Her work ethic is exceptional. For example, Kim is willing to find out what dispatch needs and why they need it, to facilitate how she does her job and to make it easier for dispatch to do theirs. It is these little things that she does which seem to help her see the big picture. She does so much behind the scenes that most people never see and she does not make a point to get recognition for it. Kim is a joy to work with and an outstanding asset to our department. Dispatcher of the Year: Denise Dominguez For meritoriously distinguishing herself, upon nomination by her co-workers and selection by the Chief of Police, as the Chico Police Department 2012 Public Safety Dispatcher of the Year. Denise has been with the Chico Police Department since December She was acting dispatch supervisor for a good portion of last year, during which time she strove to perform all the duties that go with the job. She was able to manage all the different personnel needs and deal with all the responsibilities that come with being a dispatcher and a dispatch supervisor. She is skillful and knowledgeable in her approach to her work. She maintains a great attitude and provides an excellent example for other dispatchers. She is a true problem solver who thoroughly researches options for making changes. Denise is an outstanding dispatcher while on the police radio. She understands what information officers need to make sound decisions in the field. Officers and supervisors, alike, appreciate having Denise on the air during critical incidents. Denise is also a Tactical Dispatcher, with a high degree of loyalty to the team. Much of the work she faced in the past year brought a noticeable perspective shift in her, undoubtedly bringing more improvement and personal satisfaction to Denise as an individual, and to the department as a whole. 4

5 Peace Officer of the Year: Sergeant Rob Merrifield For meritoriously distinguishing himself, upon nomination by his co-workers and selection by the Chief of Police, as the Chico Police Department 2012 Officer of the Year. Sergeant Rob Merrifield started his career at the Chico Police Department in January 1988 and was promoted to sergeant in January During the last 24 years Rob has held several positions to include: patrol officer, motor officer, Detective, SWAT team member and leader, range master, HNT team leader, honor guard, Public Information officer and Acting Lieutenant. He has been the Sergeant in charge of Detectives, Community Outreach, and Traffic. He is currently the advisor to the Chico Police Explorer Program and the liaison for Alcohol Beverage Control and CSU Chico. Rob has a fantastic demeanor with his co-workers, citizens, and the media. He makes himself available to anyone on short notice and is always willing to assist. He is easy to approach and puts people at ease. Not only does Rob display a professional and cordial demeanor in house, he does an outstanding job of representing the Department in public and with general community contacts. His involvement in outside entities such as Catalyst, Habitat for Humanity, the Jesus Center, Kick-in for Kids, and ABC is another huge plus. He is knowledgeable on so many topics that he is one our go to sergeants. He commands the respect of his subordinates through his positive guidance, patience, humility and his genuine interest in their development. Some comments made by his peers that nominated Rob are: he has a positive attitude; he s easy to approach, work with and talk to; he takes on whatever he is assigned. always doing an outstanding job! And many more positive comments that have already been used. When reviewing the qualifications for Officer of the Year, Rob fulfills all those characteristics and more. He brings credit to the department and City by his actions. All the while, he seems to manage his personal and professional time to the fullest. Volunteer of the Year: Debbie Mueller Debbie joined the Chico Police Department Volunteers in Police Service in May, 2004 dedicating more than 2200hours. We are certainly glad that she chose to join this organization as she has proven herself to be one of the hardest working and conscientious volunteers in the group. Debbie is one of those people everyone wants on their team. She is trustworthy and hardworking. She is a mainstay to the VIPS organization and has made it known that she can be counted on. She diligently maintains the Training Officer position for the VIPS, keeping our volunteers well trained in all avenues. She assists willingly with special events, night patrol, administration, traffic, 5

6 training, and call-outs. CHICO POLICE DEPARTMENT Debbie not only assists the VIPS with her knowledge and skills, but also has been a key player in other department events such as, Blue Santa, Cops for Kids, and the Butte County Animal Rescue organization. She is a dedicated VIP and an irrefutable asset to this organization, the Chico Police Department, and the City of Chico. She is always willing to go the extra mile in her duties and has been instrumental in keeping our group among the very best in the nation. Debbie has truly earned the honor of being VIP of the Year. Explorer of the Year: Jerred Brown Explorer Sgt. Jerred Brown has been selected as Explorer of the Year for Jerred has been with the post for almost three years. He has worked his way up the ranks to the position of Sergeant for Squad 2. In addition to his duties as Sergeant, he has taken on the duties of recruitment. Jerred is responsible for returning phone calls to prospective explorers and then arranging for them to attend a meeting. If they remain interested, he also facilitates their application process. Thanks to Jerred's efforts, we have grown from 12 Explorers a year ago to 21 Explorers today with several more prospects in the pipeline. Jerred is also the unofficial Post photographer and many of his photos are used on the Chico Police Explorer website and recruitment materials which he helps maintain. He is an excellent spokesman for the Post as well as a first rate Sergeant. We are pleased to announce Sgt. Jerred Brown as Explorer of the Year. Chaplain of the Year: David Osborne The Chico Police Chaplains Association has voted David D. Osborne our Chaplain of the Year for David, a veteran college chaplain and church pastor, trained for and joined the Chico Police chaplaincy in Since that time his sense of humor, his good nature, and generally joyful outlook has become indispensible at all meetings and events of the chaplaincy. In January, David announced his retirement from over 47 years of service in the ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He served nearly 7 years as pastor for Chico s S.D.A. Church. He has also been a member of the Chico Pastor s Together organization, under Gaylord Enns. David has served on committees for Feather River Hospital, the Northern California Conference Executive Committee and Personnel Committee and the Pacific Union Conference Executive Committee of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 6

7 In years past, David Osborne was Senior Pastor of the Atlantic Union College Church. He moved to Riverside, CA and became the chaplain and Vice President of Student Affairs for both La Sierra University and Loma Linda University. He held the position of serving as pastor to the pastors and conference administration as the Director of the Ministerial Department for the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists with territory over Canada, Mexico and the United States. Right before coming to Chico he served for 14 years at the Carmichael S.D.A. Church. David Osborne and his wife, Judy, have served the Chico community with joy, love, and dignity. We salute them and thank David for his service to the Chico Police Department. We are awaiting his decision to remain in the area, and thus with the department, or retire elsewhere. Wherever he goes, may God go with him. Congratulations Super Dave Osborne for being our 2012 Chaplain of the Year! ***For media inquiries, please contact Captain Lori Macphail at (530) *** 7