The campus Police Department recently hosted its annual Citizen and Employee Appreciation Ceremony, honoring the officer of the year and employee of the year, and more than 20 people from outside the department for their assistance to law enforcement.

The awards ceremony, the 18th annual, took place Jan. 28 at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel adjacent to the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

The department named Maximiliano Thomas as officer of the year for 2010. His nominator rated Thomas “superior” in work ethic, technical knowledge, application of the Penal Code and Vehicle Code, investigatory skill, officer safety, report writing, marksmanship at the range, and interactions with the public.” Further, the nominator described Thomas a proactive, diligent in his service to the public and a team player in the department.

The Police Department named Angie Moreland as employee of the year. She works as a purchasing assistant for the Police and Fire departments.

Her nominator wrote: “She is truly dedicated to both the Police and Fire departments and is consistently reminding our vendors what needs to happen by when so that our department gets what we need in a timely manner and that the vendor also receives the information and payment they need.”

The department recognized 11 people who were involved in the successful resuscitation of Gary Colberg, a retired campus recreation official who collapsed the morning of Dec. 22 while working out on a treadmill at the Activities and Recreation Center.

Citizen Awards went to Michael Molina, Nelson Randolph and Leslie Whiteford, all of whom were in the fitness room at the time of Colberg’s collapse; and Cuong Nguyen, Susan Saephanh and Megan Sullivan, student employees at the ARC. Read more about the Colberg rescue.

The department presented certificates of appreciation to five campus firefighters for their role in the Colberg rescue: Capt. Nate Hartinger, Kyle Dubs, John Hodge and Miguel Borrego, all regulars with the department, and Lindsey Dubs, a student firefighter (and Kyle Dubs’ sister).

Student catches suspected shoplifter

Student Lyia Jalao received a Citizen Award for assisting in the apprehension of a suspected shoplifter from the TechHub at UC Davis’ main bookstore in the Memorial Union.

Police said Jalao, who works as a sales associate, chased the suspect and yelled for security when he exited the TechHub with a laptop computer.

“Ms. Jalao caught up to the suspect near the cashiers’ horseshoe area at the front of the store, grabbing his shirt and holding on,” said Chuck Kratochvil, bookstore director, who nominated Jalao for the award. “Before he could break away from Lyia’s grasp, an unidentified male customer pushed the fleeing suspect into a pillar, at which point the suspect was knocked down.”

Security questioned the suspect, and police took him into custody.

The department presented Citizen Awards to Jerry Street, exercise planner for the UC Davis Health System, and Brian Buckley, special agent with the FBI, for their help in developing the Northern California Hospital Cyberterrorism Seminar. It took place Aug. 5 on the Davis campus, drawing more than 300 participants, including nearly 90 hospital executives.

The Chief’s Appreciation Award went to Susan Crutcher, the Police Department’s alarm specialist, for assisting three other UC Davis employees in correcting alarm and card key issues at the UC Davis Health System. The other employees — Paul Chance, Michael Person and Ken Waller — received Citizen Awards. Chance is an electrician, Person is a superintendent in Telecommunications; and Waller is an analyst in Facilities Planning.

Six other health system employees also received Citizen Awards:

• Ken Galloway, Patient Transport — He saw a woman acting strangely in the Tower Lobby, and then saw her take a prescription bottle out of her purse and take out a large number of pills. She told everyone in the waiting area: “I want to die,” and then swallowed all the pills. Galloway put the woman in a wheelchair and headed for the emergency room. The woman passed out en route, and the ER staff revived her.

• Debbie Cott, social worker — Recognized for being a great help to the law enforcement community as it dealt with the death of a 3-year-old girl, the daughter of a Placer County sheriff’s deputy. The girl suffered a gunshot wound. Cott comforted family members and secured the use of the Tower Lobby Conference Room as a gathering point for members of the law enforcement community who gathered at the hospital.

• Christine Tong — She called the Police Department regarding a suspicious man in the Sherman Building. Officers said they found the man in a stairwell, and that he fled in a second-floor hallway when he saw them. Police said they located him again — this time in a break room, where he was hiding. The investigation revealed that he had stolen a wallet from the third floor, according to police, who said they booked him on suspicion of burglary, resisting arrest and parole violation.

Capt. Joyce Souza, in announcing the award, said: “Christine did exactly what the police ask university employees to do; politely contact people they don’t recognize who happen to be in their work areas.

“We want employees to ask strangers who they are, or if they need help finding something. And if something doesn’t seem right, then immediately call the police. Christine was observant, diligent and it is because of her quick actions that the police were able to catch this criminal.”

• William “Bill” Robideaux and Mark Montoya, Plant Operations and Maintenance — For assisting with traffic control after a collision.

• Timothy Gulick, parking officer — For assisting police officer Stephen Blomstedt in the arrest of a suspect in front of the Sherman Building. According to police, Blomstedt identified the man as someone who was on probation, and decided to search him, as allowed under the terms of his probation. The suspect “took a fighting stance,” according to police, and shoved a chair and table at the officer.

Blomstedt pushed the suspect to the ground, and Gulick, who happened to be nearby, assisted the officer in handcuffing the suspect, who was booked for resisting.

Sgt. Don Malloy, who nominated Gulick for the award, wrote: “We never got the opportunity to thank him for his assistance. Tim just walked away, back to what he had been doing.”