Guadalupe police Officer Israel Reyes has amazing dedication to his job, according to department Chief George Mitchell.

Reyes’ dedication enables him to commute from his home in Oxnard every week to work, and return to Oxnard on the weekends.

He gets the job done and never complains, Mitchell said, and last year, the traffic officer made 90 arrests on suspicion of driving under the influence.

“Officer Reyes is an incredible traffic officer,” Mitchell said during the 37th Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Night hosted Wednesday evening by the Santa Maria Elks Lodge on Bradley Road.

Eight local law enforcement officers, including Reyes, were honored during the dinner as officer of the year for their department.

Reyes acknowledged it was difficult commuting back and forth between work and home each week, especially with a newborn baby.

“You probably already heard him out there,” the officer joked.

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Reyes thanked the Guadalupe Police Department, and especially his fellow traffic officers, for helping him succeed.

Some officers recognized Wednesday bring years of experience to the job, including Santa Maria police Officer Gary Steigler and District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigator Mary Brizzolara.

Brizzolara announced she is retiring Oct. 31 after 14 years with the District Attorney’s Office and prior law enforcement experience out of the area.

She dedicated her award in honor of Laura Cleaves, an investigator with the District Attorney’s Office who was killed in a car accident in May.

“She was truly a person that I inspired to be,” Brizzolara said.

Santa Maria police Chief Danny Macagni said that Steigler, a 27-year veteran of the police department, is “one of the finest patrol officers in our department.”

He is dedicated to the craft and committed to the department, Macagni said.

Honored as officers of the year were:

Santa Maria police Officer Gary Steigler

Santa Barbara County sheriff’s Deputy Dave Robertson

Guadalupe police Officer Israel Reyes

Senior Master Sgt. Brian Creswell from the 30th Security Forces Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base

California Highway Patrol Officer Fred Oakes

Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigator Mary Brizzolara

Santa Barbara County Senior Deputy Probation Officer Amber Flores

Allan Hancock College police Officer John Staugaard

Samantha Yale can be reached at 739-2159 or syale@santamariatimes.com.

September 4, 2008