A cross-section of staff from the Santa Maria Police and Information Technology departments captured the Distinguished Team Award for their role in launching a monumental project to modernize emergency dispatch and records systems.
Police Chief Phil Hansen announced the team, with more than 15 members, involved in the Computer-Aided Dispatch and Records Management Systems (CAD/RMS) as the recipient of the 2019 team award Wednesday afternoon at the annual awards luncheon.
Approximately 200 law enforcement officers and local leaders attended the event at the Santa Maria Elks Lodge, where the chief also thanked the community for supporting police.
“A lot of you, I think, would be shocked at the volume of work and at the types of things that our folks encounter on the phone or in the field every day,” Hansen said. “It’s pretty remarkable what they work through.”
A number of other awards and certificates also were presented during the luncheon sponsored by the Santa Maria Police Council.
The Officer of the Year Award went to Officer Tiffanie Delaney, a three-year law enforcement veteran who spearheaded a new assignment aimed at those driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Delaney, who was not able to attend the luncheon, also was one of the employee of the quarter award recipients in 2019.
The team responsible for the CAD/RMS implementation included police supervisors, officers, dispatchers, records staff and city information technology personnel, who worked for three years of planning before the systems became operational in November.
“It was just an incredible team effort,” Hansen said. “The Santa Maria Police Department is fortunate to have had a group of relentless and dedicated project team members that contributed to the successful implementation of this monumental project that will have a positive impact for years to come.”
The technology means officers in the field have mugshots and more information at their fingertips, while also noting the location of officers and firefighters around the community.
“We have a state-of-the-art dispatch center that is the envy of just about everybody who sees that doggone thing,” Hansen said.
“A radio’s not a radio anymore,” he said, adding that the devices allow officers to talk, send mugshots and track location. “It’s a phenomenal source of data transfer.”
The new CAD/RMS went live in November, and signaled a massive upgrade of older systems, the chief added.
The Support Employee of the Year Award went to Brenda Cabonce, police records technician, who has worked for the department for 13 years.
The chief noted Cabonce processing of information related to stolen vehicles including those stored, impounded, held as evidence, and recovered. In 2019, this effort involved processing 4,600 vehicles.
“She will always go the extra mile to lend a hand to anyone that asks, no matter how busy she is, and always with a smile on her face,” Hansen said.
Officer Matthew Boland received the department’s Lifesaving Award, which included a medal for his role responding to a call involving a suicidal subject.
“This award is very special because it exemplifies what our job’s really all about — that’s coming to the aid of people in desperate need of help,” Hansen said.
The call for the suicidal 84-year-old man came at the same time other officers responded to a robbery with multiple suspects leading Boland’s colleagues on a foot pursuit.
“Alone and under great pressure…Officer Boland evaluated his options, made a decision and saved a man’s life,” Hansen said. “Officer Boland’s actions on that day were truly commendable and in the best traditions of the police service.”
Certificates of Commendation were presented to Officer Max Shaffer and Officer Alfredo Rodriguez for their responses as the first on scene at separate homicides last year.
Other employees of the quarter awards in 2019 went to Sgt. Woody Vega, Officer Cole Whitney and Officer Andres Lopez.
Additionally, Officer Nick Sanchez received the Guardian of the Flame Award from a pair of Special Olympians for his support of the Law Enforcement Torch Run.
— 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.