Z-Awards

The 9^th Annual “Z Awards for ExZellence” luncheon, hosted by Councilman Dennis P. Zine, was held today at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills to honor public safety personnel who go above and beyond what is expected of them in order to serve the citizens of the Third Council District and the greater Los Angeles community. CBS2 News Anchor Pat Harvey presented the awards and the Honorable Richard Katz served as the Master of Ceremonies.

Group photo by Betsy Annas.

2011 “Z Awards for ExZellence” Recipients:

• Sergeant I Frank Alferez, LAPD Topanga Area: Sergeant Alferez is a 14-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department. He joined the LAPD's Topanga Division in December of 2008 and quickly established himself as an extraordinary, hard-working supervisor. He was instrumental in putting together the newly established Topanga Area Gang Enforcement Detail (GED). His understanding of gang issues and gang enforcement techniques has led to a direct impact on crime reduction in the valley. Topanga GED is among the leaders in Operations-Valley Bureau (OVB) in total arrests and productivity consistently for the past two years, finishing number one in the OVB in 2009 with a 275% increase from 2008. In 2009, gang crime dropped 20% and in 20I0, gang crime dropped an additional 11%. In 2010, Topanga GED made 395 arrests, of those arrested, 261 were for felony crimes. The officers conducted 193 probation searches and 103 parole searches, which resulted in the arrest of 44 parolee/probationers and the confiscation of ten guns. In addition, Topanga GED made 102 gang injunction arrests, which again led the bureau and was second overall citywide in gang injunction arrest totals. Sergeant Alferez's leadership and gang expertise is the driving force behind the success of Topanga GED.

• Police Officer II+2 Tim Gallick, LAPD Valley Traffic Division: Officer Gallick has been a member of the Los Angeles Police Department since 1995 and is currently a member of the Valley Traffic Division Community Traffic Services Unit. As a Traffic Safety Officer, he works diligently to address the needs of the community by working closely with LAUSD officials in implementing student drop-off/pick-up stations to ensure student safety. Officer Gallick has also been involved with the Valley Traffic Advisory Council’s “Still Saving Lives Car Show,” which educates constituents on child safety seat inspections. He also represented the department during a recent taping of an Univision Television weekly program to illustrate the dangers of texting and driving. Officer Gallick was honored with the Police Star Award for his bravery above and beyond the normal demands of duty when he evacuated residents from their homes during the 2008 Sesnon Fire. And he received the Top Gun award from the Los Angeles Chief of Police Charlie Beck for his exceptional motorcycle riding skills.

• Sergeant I Michael Henderson, LAPD West Valley Area: Sergeant Henderson has been with the Los Angeles Police Department since 1988 and has been a supervisor in the West Valley area since January 2009. He is frequently called upon to serve as the incident commander at dangerous crime scenes. On May 1, 2009, two armed suspects entered and robbed the First Bank on Ventura Blvd. As the suspects departed, they placed a suspicious device inside the front door of the bank. Sergeant Henderson immediately responded to the scene and took over as the incident commander. He ensured that all necessary notifications were made, set up a command post, and initiated the Incident Command System. As a result of his excellent leadership and planning, the Robbery Homicide Division, the FBI, and the Bomb Squad were able to conduct their investigations in a timely and effective manner. Sergeant Henderson was honored as both West Valley Area Supervisor of the 2nd Quarter in 2010 and the 2010 Supervisor of the Year. He is an inspiration to both the sworn and civilian staff, alike, and is a great friend and protector of the citizens of the West Valley.

• Officer Heather Hoglund, California Highway Patrol: Officer Hoglund graduated seventh out of her class of 137 cadets from the CHP Academy in June of 2003 and transferred to the West Valley office in October of 2005. During her tenure at West Valley, she was the recipient of the 2007 MADD Award for outstanding DUI enforcement activity. She was selected to be a member of the Southern Division Public Information and Recruiting Office where she became one of the instructors for the child passenger safety seat installation, a very important national safety program. She has been interviewed on national television, including the Today show, CNN, and Fox News Network to answer questions regarding distracted drivers and also providing narration for active pursuits on these programs. Along with her other tasks, she was chosen to head the Keeping Everyone Safe (KEYS) grant. This program permitted Officer Hoglund to coordinate 12 allied agencies in Los Angeles County thereby creating an educational task force for elderly drivers on driving safely as they age. In early 2010, she transferred back to the West Valley to become a field training officer. She wanted the opportunity to influence new officers, guiding and teaching them to be productive and valued members of the department. She is also the newest member of the Southern Division Color Guard, where she represented the department at the Women Leaders in Law Enforcement Conference in Pasadena.

• Captain John D. Holtby, Los Angeles City Fire Department: Captain Holtby was hired onto the Department in August of 1980 and transferred to Fire Station 93 in Tarzana in November of 2002 where he is stationed with the “B” Platoon. Captain Holtby’s faith has been a cornerstone in both his professional and personal life. He is involved with the Firefighters for Christ Ministry, an organization that helps firefighters in need. He continues to volunteer at Hume Lake Christian Camp for children and their families. He has traveled abroad to help the needy in Mexico and Uganda. While in Uganda he worked alongside Africa Renewal Ministry (ARM) and Children's Hunger Fund to help Bethany Village (an orphanage) become self-sustaining. The mission team provided medical care, educational instruction, and construction assistance. Currently, Captain Holtby and his wife help with the disabled ministry at their church. He plans to retire in three more years, giving him a total of 34 years of dedicated service to the Fire Department.

• Deputy Gabriel Perez, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department: Deputy Perez has been with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for five years and has been assigned to the Transit Services Bureau for three of those years at the Chatsworth Sub Station. In 1998, he enlisted in the Unites States Marine Corps. He spent a total of eight years in the Marine Corps seeing combat in Enduring Freedom in Kuwait and in Enduring Iraq. During this time, he was awarded three Naval Achievement Medals. Last year, Deputy Perez made more than 297 arrests and wrote more than 559 citations. 137 of those were vehicle code violations, 321 were fare enforcement violations, and 101 were parking citations. During the past year, Deputy Perez was assigned as a bus car working the entire San Fernando Valley on the PM shift. His primary job was patrolling the bus routes that traverse the San Fernando Valley. In 2010, Deputy Gabriel Perez worked as a mid shift bus car in the San Fernando Valley where he made 593 arrests. From the arrests made, 272 were warrant arrests and 321 were open charge arrests for various criminal offenses ranging from narcotic violations, weapons violations, drunk driving, and other misdemeanor violations. He also issued more than 558 traffic-related citations including 87 parking tickets to violators parking in bus zones.

• Deputy Chief Vito Scattaglia, Department of Motor Vehicles, Division of Investigations: Deputy Chief Scattaglia was born in San Fernando, California and attended Alemany High School and California State University, Los Angeles earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice. He is a graduate of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Academy and holds State Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training for basic, intermediate, advanced, supervisory, and management requirements. Deputy Chief Scattaglia began his law enforcement career with the DMV Division of Investigations in March 1973 as an investigator assigned to Los Angeles. He was promoted through the various field and supervisory ranks from March 1973 to October 1986 in the L.A. area. He then promoted to valley area commander in October 1986 with oversight of all San Fernando Valley enforcement activity. He began serving as deputy chief in March of 2009 and is responsible for DMV field enforcement activities for Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties. He oversees three commanders, nine supervising investigators, 65 sworn investigators and 12 support staff. For the past 38 years, Deputy Chief Scattaglia has also served as a reserve police officer for the City of San Fernando and has been the commander of the reserve unit for 33 years with the rank of captain.

In its ninth year, the Z Awards for ExZellence, founded by Councilman Dennis P. Zine, recognized individuals who have demonstrated ongoing dedication, commitment, and "exzellence" in their respective fields and for their outstanding contributions in the areas of law enforcement, emergency services, and public safety. At this year’s award ceremony, the community honored personnel from the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles City Fire Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, and the California Department of Motor Vehicles.