A California Highway Patrol officer committed to serving his hometown and a young deputy devoted to nabbing criminals were among nine law enforcement honorees Wednesday night in Santa Maria.
The Santa Maria Elks Lodge 1538 hosted the annual Law Enforcement Officers Appreciation Night, which marked its 48th edition this year.
Before presenting his agency’s award, Santa Maria police Chief Phil Hansen said law enforcement officers need community support, like the annual appreciation event, because they deal with evil daily while working to keep the community safe.
“They need your support, and this is an absolutely wonderful example of the support that we have in this community,” Hansen said. “It’s a tough life out there for police officers and deputy sheriffs and law enforcement personnel these days. We can’t thank this community enough for the support.”
The event brought together law enforcement officers from assorted local, county and state agencies serving the Santa Maria Valley.
For the CHP, Sgt. Chuck Hoops received the award for many reasons, according to Lt. Mike Brown, commander of the Santa Maria area office.
Hoops routinely displays a commitment to serving the community where he grew up and attended local schools, including St. Joseph High School, Brown added.
“He truly is dedicated to this community,” Brown said.
In his career, Hoops have displayed a passion for justice and has overseen several high profile cases in six years.
As Hoops accepted the award, his mother said, “That’s my boy.”
“It is an honor to serve the community that I grew up in,” Hoops said.
Deputy Shaelyn Green accepted the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department award for her ongoing performance, according to Chief Deputy Craig Bonner.
In down times, Green launched proactive investigations, leading to confiscations of drugs, arrests of multiple suspects and recovery of 18 illegally possessed firearms, Bonner said.
“All told, Deputy Shae Green’s tenacity, her professionalism and dedication to the safety and well-being of our local community is commendable,” Bonner said. “Her exemplary performance clearly demonstrates the values of our Sheriff’s Office organization.”
Green worked for the Lompoc Police Department before joining the Sheriff’s Department in 2015. A year later, she received the Rookie of the Year Award, and in 2017 earned recognition for heroism for actions during the Whittier Fire. She has worked both North County and South County assignments.
Other recipients during the Wednesday night dinner were:
» Detective Seann Woessner from the Santa Maria Police Department.
» Officer Richard Ramirez from the Allan Hancock College Police Department.
» Officer Maria Negranti from the Guadalupe Police Department.
» Senior Deputy District Attorney Fabiana Fede from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.
» Deputy Probation Officer Nikki Morgan from the Santa Barbara County Probation Department.
» Staff Sgt.Travis Stagnolia from the 30th Security Forces Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
» Parole Agent Ricardo Ramirez from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Adult Parole Operations section
In addition to plaques, award recipients received certificates from local, county, state and congressional lawmakers.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
