A proposed Santa Maria Police Department program received a big boost during the 17th annual fundraiser by a nonprofit group.
Approximately 300 people showed up last Friday for the dinner at the Santa Maria Country Club for the Santa Maria Police Council’s biggest annual fundraiser — a golf tournament, auction and comedy show.
“We have some big stuff that we want to do here at the Santa Maria Police Department, and we can’t do it without you,” Police Chief Christopher Williams told the crowd.
The event served as a fundraiser for the department’s planned Drone as a First Responder program, which the chief declared would act as “a force multiplier.”
The program would quickly deploy a drone to the scene of a call, giving officers a visual assessment within seconds.
“What we can do is get minimal information from our caller, launch this drone, and get eyes on in less than 90 seconds, and be the eyes and ears for officers to be safer, for our community to be safer,” said Williams, who has spent 30 years in law enforcement.
“Like I mentioned, it’s a game-changer, and we can’t do it without your support,” he added.
The night ended with Fund-a-Need, with this year’s recipient identified as the Drone as a First Responder program, raising more than $37,000.
Previous efforts raised funds for the department’s equestrian unit plus efforts to purchase other equipment or support other programs for the agency.
A number of desserts and other items were auctioned off earlier, with the night raising a total of approximately $95,000, organizers said.
During the event, Jay Conner from the Rotary Club of South Santa Maria presented Williams with the Paul Harris Fellow Award, recognizing the chief’s commitment to “service above self.”
At the start of the dinner, the police chief recognized Glenn Morris as he and his wife prepare to move out of state to be closer to grandchildren. Morris served as president of the Santa Maria Police Council in 2025 and the first half of 2026.
Since its formation in August 2007 and followed two years later by the launch of the annual fundraiser, the organization has donated more than $2 million to the Police Department.
“It’s almost two decades of this community coming together to celebrate, to show support, to raise money — all for the cause of serving those who serve us,” said Morris, who previously worked for 10 years as the chief executive officer of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and continues to serve at the helm of the Western Association of Chamber Executives.
“I think that’s an incredible legacy and one I’m proud to be part of,” Morris added.