Honors bestowed on those who make a difference
Published: February 27, 2007
A number of Woodland police officers were awarded Thursday for their leadership, volunteerism and dedication to the WPD.
Most of the awards were given by Police Chief Carey Sullivan, while others were recognized by their peers.
Sullivan awarded Officer of the Year to Dallas Hyde for his varied involvement in the department - from being a member of the Crisis Negotiations Team and the Honor Guard to being a school resource officer.
Meanwhile, officers selected Crime Analyst Officer Liz Gunson for Employee of the year. She was recognized by her peers as a team player in her daily work with individual officers, the Gang Violence Suppression Unit team, the investigations division and administration in providing information and analysis of crimes and crime trends.
Gunson is credited with asking to have the Crime Analysis Unit office moved to a location that would be closer to the patrol officers’ work area to facilitate their access to CAU. She has developed flyers and binders for specific beats and subjects.
Hyde was hired by the WPD in August 2000 as a Police Officer Trainee while he was attending the Sacramento County Law enforcement Academy. Upon his graduation from the academy in January 2001, he was sworn in as a full-time patrol officer.
He worked as a patrol officer until June 2003 when he was selected to be a school resource officer for the department. He was an SRO until July 2006 when he was then selected to fill a detective vacancy in the investigations division. Hyde is also a member of the Crisis Negotiations Team and the Honor Guard.
Hyde is recognized for his involvement in the community with his support of the Woodland Soroptimist’s annual holiday bazaar, the PTA, Woodland High School cheerleader’s fundraisers and fundraising events at the Willow Springs Elementary School. He has participated in the Every 15 Minutes Program at our local high schools and the Woodland Police Department’s Shop-With-A-Cop program presented in conjunction with Wal-Mart and he is a Cal Ripken baseball coach.
Sullivan awarded police volunteer Gerald Dawson Volunteer of the Year for donating 313 hours in the traffic division since March 2006. Dawson retired from Spreckle’s Sugar Company in 2001 after working there for 42 years.
“Every Tuesday and Wednesday he has patrolled the city streets and neighborhoods looking for Abandoned Vehicles and also report on hazardous code enforcement issues as well,” Sullivan said.
The GVSU and Crime Investigation Unit were both awarded a Meritorious Unit Citation. Both units were recognized for their performance that is above and beyond their normal duties and is accomplished by functioning as a team.
The GVSU was recognized for their handling of a series of thefts in Yolo County that exceeded $50,000, Sullivan said.
The CIU is comprised of three Community Service Officers: Dale Phillips, Kelly York and Norma Rodriguez. Supervisors praise CIU members for their quick and eager response, even when called during off-duty hours; the skill they demonstrate in performing their duties; and the way they integrate their activities with others involved in the investigation.
Sullivan recognized four employees for their leadership skills - Ricky Wright, Omar Flores, Ted Ruiz and Derrek Kaff.
Wright joined the WPD in 1999 after serving in the US Marine Corps. Wright serves the department in many different ways as a sniper on SWAT, representing the department as a member of the Police Honor Guard and acting as a field training officer.
Flores, since joining the department in 2002, has established himself as a leader, said Sullivan.
“He frequently stops at parks, play areas, or elsewhere where children congregate to provide a positive influence and to let them know that the police are there to help. Omar has especially worked to maintain a bridge between the department and the Hispanic community. This past year he organized a power bench press contest in support of the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center,” Sullivan said.
Ruiz joined the WPD in August 2004. He moved through the Field Training Officer program and upon becoming a solo beat officer demonstrated an exceptional ability and determination to provide the highest quality of law enforcement services.
Kaff has been with the WPD since 2000 and promoted to sergeant in July 2003. Kaff has been assigned as the administrative sergeant since March 2005. Kaff has sought to hire the very best people at the WPD.
If you enjoyed this good news Subscribe to Good News Blog
Share this
To share this simply copy and paste one of the below URL's: