The Kern County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving honored local law enforcement officers and prosecutors this week for their work to stop DUI crimes.
The main award winners were:
Kern County Probation Department Award: Deputy Probation Officer Luis Gomez
Gomez supervisors felony probationers to ensure they are not consuming alcohol and that they comply with court orders, MADD said.
Through Office of Transportation and Safety funding, Gomez supervises 75 high-risk, felony and repeat DUI offenders. In 2016 he made 947 home calls and held 855 office conferences with these people. He conducted 522 urinalysis tests by ETG device and 1,125 Breathalyzer tests.
"Officer Gomez’s diligence in supervising these high-risk worst of the worst DUI offenders is commendable and has gone a long way to help keep our streets safer for the citizens of Kern County," MADD said.
Top Prosecutor 187 Award: Supervising Deputy District Attorney Michael Yraceburn
Yraceburn prosecuted the nation’s first successful murder conviction for driving while impaired by marijuana, MADD said. In that March 2014 crash, the suspect was driving at about 80 miles per hour before losing control, killing David Aggio. The suspect was sentenced to 20 years to life.
Top Law Enforcement: Bakersfield Police Officer Louis James
Since James was reassigned to the Bakersfield Police Department’s Traffic Section in July 2015, he has primarily worked the graveyard shift, MADD said. He has proved to be "one of the most, if not the most, productive traffic officer in regards to DUI enforcement. Though he was assigned to the traffic section for only a year and a half, he maintained his aggressive DUI enforcement to make the citizens of Bakersfield safer."
In 2015, MADD California honored him. The next year he arrested 247 DUI drivers, the most of all traffic units within the department and one of the highest in California.
Below are all the honorees:
Arvin Police Department
Officer Bryan Arthurs
Officer Daniel Bravo
Officer Jorge Gonzalez
Bakersfield Police Department
Officer Kameron Bailey
Senior Officer Dean Barthelmes
Officer Chad Ott
Officer Jennifer Bassett
Officer Victor Swall
Officer Robert Lane
Officer Santos Luevano
Officer Johnny Moreno
Officer Marco Vazquez
Officer Thomas Wahl
Officer David Hamma
Detective Andrew Tipton
Officer Nicholas Childers
Officer Anthony Herron
Officer Michael Crowe
Officer Eli Brown
Officer Brandon Carey
Officer Richard Robles
Officer Louis James
CHP Mojave
Officer Paul Vue
Officer Sean A. Galloway
Officer Alejandro Zuniga
Officer Michael R. Stevens
Officer Bryan D. Lombardi
Officer Nathan J. Moffatt
Officer Jason P. Carroll
Officer Don F. Mulligan Jr.
CHP-Bakersfield #420
Officer Francisco Chavez
Officer Rodney Black
Officer Rosalva Archer
Officer David Avis
Officer Victor Valadez
Officer Jose Bravo
Officer Jaime Cervantes
Officer Jeff Anderson
Officer Ryan Grant
Officer Arturo Aldrete
Officer Michael Galvez
Officer Jessi Velasquez
Officer Eric Medrano
Officer Daniel Dinsing
Officer Matthew Iturriria
CHP-Buttonwillow #426
Officer Larry Reiswig
Officer John Wilson
Officer Daniel Pence
Officer Constantino Mendoza
Officer Enrique Ramos
CHP-Fort Tejon Area #430
Officer Ron Pomeroy
Officer Kelley Walker
CHP-Grapevine (C.V.E.F.) #424
Officer Robert Schlosser
Kern County District Attorney's Office
Deputy District Attorney OTS Garrett Rice
Deputy District Attorney OTS Kim Richardson
Deputy District Attorney OTS Brad Taconi
Supervising District Attorney Michael Yraceburn
Kern County Probation Department
Officer Luis Gomez
Kern County Sheriff's Office
Wasco City Substation Deputy Juan Maldonado
Wasco City Substation Deputy James Jackson
Wasco City Substation Deputy Steve Davis
Wasco City Substation Deputy Mario Rojas
Wasco City Substation Senior Deputy Steve Vasquez
McFarland Police Department
Officer Laurence Keegan
Corporal Roberto Moita
Ridgecrest Police Department
Officer Michael Compito
Officer Jason Storms
Officer Cory Huard
Sgt. Justin Dampier
Shafter Police Department
Officer Anthony Erwin
Officer Maira Puente
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