GREENSPOINT Awards for outstanding service in the field of public safety were given out by the North Houston Greenspoint Chamber last Thursday, at their monthly luncheon at the Wyndham Greensoint Hotel.
The luncheon was emceed by Jerry Lowry, past Chairman of the Chamber, and a past police officer with the Houston Police Department.
Lowry punctuated his presentation with personal anecdotes from his career, remembrances of HPD classmates, some of whom were present and award recipients, and a moment of silence honoring Pct. 5 Deputy Constable Jason Norling, who lost his life in the line of duty last week, and Prison Guard Susan Canfield of Huntsville, who also was killed in the line of duty. These cases emphasized one of Lowrys themes, that police work is inherently dangerous, and the men and women who devote their lives to this service deserve recognition and thanks, such as this awards banquet and day to day involvement with their communities.
Special thanks was extended to officers that helped organize the recent Law Day at Greenspoint Mall:
HPD Chuck Bertels, Kathy Janyes, HCSO John Soileau.
Awards were given to the following:
Community Service Award, Larry Lipton, chairman of the 1960 area Community Alliance;
Unit Service Award, to the Aldine ISD Evening Shift, including dispatchers:
Gustavo Adame, Marc Harris, Keith Warren, Renee Hall, Cpl. Sue Frank;
Special Recognition Awards:
HCSO Deputy David Willis, stopped robbery in progress;
HPD Officers David Eagan and Catherine Gentry, worked to close a slum apartment complex;
Greenspoint Mall Security, James Isaac, Max Balderrama, Robert Spencer apprehended burglary suspects with HPD help;
HPD Officer K. W. McDonald, proactive in investigating and apprehending suspects in the burglary of motor vehicles;
Distinguished Service Awards:
HPD Officers Gregory Shaull, John Malott, Brad Tikulski arrested suspects in the robbery and assault at a liquor store on Aldine Bender;
HPD Officers Jim Simmons, Jose Lopez, and Devin Farrell, apprehended a vehicle on the North Freeway with heavily armed occupants with prior arrest records;
HPD Officers Genarrow Patton, Rogolio Ramirez, who helped save the life of a baby that was not breathing by administering CPR;
Distinguished Unit Award:
To Operation Greensweep of the HPD North Division Tactical Section:
Day Shift Lt. C.J. Day, Sgt. R.L. Klotz, Officers J.B. Dillard, D. Smith, D.D. Thomas, M.D. Smith, K.R. Huey, S.W. Kutach, J.B. Norwood, K.A. Buchanan, B.K. Roland, A. Cisneros, G.E. Dillon, C.A. Farquhar, and Data Operator, civilian G.J. Deitz;
Evening Shift Sgt. J.R. Chase, Officers R. Massey, S. Burk, M. Chapnick, C. Rozek, S. Zakharia, K. Berg,l and J. Oliver.
This unit was cited for outstanding effort in a public/private collaborative effort, known as Operation Greensweep.
Utilizing both uniformed and plainclothes officers, the Tactical Section used various techniques to combat the criminal element; including crime analysis reseach and crime pattern alerts, high visibility patrols, tactical crime sweeps, street prostitution investigations, narcotics buy-bust operations, narcotics search warrants, and decoy operations in the area targeting motor vehicle crimes.
Due to the success of this collaborative effort of the police and local citizens in developing, funding and implementing this type of operation, it has become a model or template for similar operations in other areas of Houston.
Here is what they accomplished since Feb. 2007:
-643 citizen and business contacts
-556 self-initiated cases
-389 arrested and charges suspects, including 279 felonies and 140 misdemeanors
-252 municipal citations/warrants served/cleared
-seized $3.5 million of illegal narcotics
-seized $51,000 in cash, and 16 firearms.
Business Partner of the Year:
Ray Bejarano, General Manager, Greenspoint Mall, a former police officer himself, cited for donations of space and support for HPD;
Officer of the Year:
Harris County Sheriffs Deputy Joe Shriver, cited for his work in the Airline District for exemplary service that goes well beyond the call of duty.
Shriver is a graduate of MacArthur High School, having played football there. He has been a deputy sheriff since 1991, a life long goal.
Since Jan. 2006 when he was assigned to the Airline District, he has accomplished the following:
-117 felony arrests
-280 misdemeanor arrests
-1083 citations
-251 charges filed
-4,669 calls for service
-$30,000 in drug money seized.
These statistics average 2.75 tickets or arrests per day, and 8 calls for service per day.
In particular, he was honored for answering a call while on patrol, and saving a woman who was a victim of a horrendous stabbing and assault. With quick action he arrested the perpetrator and helped save the life of the woman.
The awards ceremony luncheon was attended by several hundred business persons, Chamber members, and public safety officers.
Sponsors of the event included Caldwell Companies, Greenspoint Community Partners, Greenspoint District, Greenspoint Mall, Hawes Hill Calderon LLP, Houston Airport Systems, Hydril LLC, Nitsch & Son Utility & Bellmar Civic Club, North Houston Bank, North Harris College, Primeway federal Credit Union, and Wyndham Greenspoint Hotel.