California Police Officers Receive National Honors

Tonya Page Bail Bonds would like to congratulate the three California law enforcement officers who were recognized by Parade Magazine‘s Officer of the Year. The annual award ceremony is dedicating three of its awards to the following law enforcement officers from California: Thi Huynh of the Garden Grove Police Department, John Young of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, and  William B. Hout of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department.

Huynh is 29 years old and a native Vietnamese. He has been serving with the Garden Grove Police Department since 2007. Two of his recognitions are for saving a 15-year old boy who had gone into cardiac arrest and for resuscitating an inmate who had stopped breathing. Furthermore, he is being recognized for an extreme act of random kindness.

On November 28, Huynh was called to the scene of a fatality. A father had been found in his driveway after dying from a heart attack. When Huynh showed up, the man’s six children and wife was standing there is dismay. Huynh ultimately felt obligated to figure out how this large family with a recently deceased father would survive for Christmas.

Huynh stated, “I wanted people to know we really do care, that we were not the sort to just take a report and leave. We went to the mom, and she wasn’t looking for a hand-out but we got a list from her, and we ended up raising between $1300-$1400.” He also went a step further and got the United Labor Agency involved by asking them to speak to the bank about lowering their mortgage so they could stay in their home.

John Young, 45, who is a motorcycle deputy for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department at the Malibu-Lost Hills Sheriff Station & Jail, is also receiving America’s Police Officer Award this year. It is stated that he had been helping to save the lives of other motorcycle drivers who have been driving too fast.

Sheriff Young patrols a specific area on Canyon Road, which is nestled between the Pacific Coast Highway and 101. This road is internationally known as the motorcycle road. Its history is rich with famous people riding their motorcycles with the likes of Ronald Reagan, Steven McQueen and James Dean. People from all over the world come to ride this road.

Sheriff Young has reportedly given out 3800 citations in the last year in order to help prevent any fatalities on this major motorcycle road. According to his bosses, his efforts have lead to the lowest annual number of fatalities over the past 10 years.

Also receiving the America’s Police Officer’s of the Year award goes to William B. Hout, 42, of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. Sergeant Hout has been with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department since 1993 and before that, was a dog trainer for law enforcement.

Sergeant Hout was recently promoted to Sergeant for his work as a lead investigator over 13 different major gang and drug investigations.

His work, with his other fellow officers, led to 59 arrests and 33 convictions, with more still currently pending. Sergeant Hout is said to take “no nonsense, from nobody.”

Hout is also recognized for going after a Hell’s Angel suspect after the suspect went after another deputy who was to testify against the suspect, and the deputy was in the presence of a child.

Congratulations to all the wonderful police officers, deputies and sheriffs working very hard to make California a safer place!

Photo Credits: Parade Magazine, October 24, 2010

---