A Pasadena Tradition Looks Outward for This Year’s Rejuvenated Police and Citizens Awards Ceremony

For more than half a century, the Pasadena Police Department has gathered once a year to honor its officers, its professional staff, and the private citizens whose bravery has crossed paths with the department’s work. Somewhere along the way, the ceremony drifted inward. It became, by many accounts, a quiet departmental affair — heartfelt, but largely overlooked by the community whose name is literally built into the event: the Police and Citizens Awards.

Lieutenant Andrea Perez of the Pasadena Police Department Community Relations Section is changing that, with the help of a very community-minded citizen, George Penner.

“I saw this as an opportunity to reintegrate the community in recognizing and celebrating our police personnel,” Perez said in an interview with Pasadena Now. “While the ceremony has had a long and meaningful history, I felt that it could evolve into something more inclusive — something that would bring the community back into the process, not just as observers but as active participants in honoring the service, dedication, and impact of our officers.”

The 53rd Annual Police and Citizens Awards Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, May 6 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green St., in Pasadena. A plated meal will be served.

And the event this year is carrying more weight than usual.

A ceremony shaped by fire

More than 100 Pasadena Police Department personnel will be recognized for their response to the Eaton Fire.

“That incident placed some extraordinary demands on our personnel — those who responded under rapidly evolving and dangerous conditions to protect lives and property,” Perez said. “Creating a dedicated recognition category allows us to properly honor the range of actions taken, anything from life-saving efforts to sustaining service during that critical time.”

The Eaton Fire recognitions will span ranks and assignments, Perez said, including officers on the front lines and personnel who sustained operations behind the scenes. “This was a catastrophic event that took a toll physically, mentally, and emotionally — not just on the community, but on our personnel who responded.”

Recognition for that response will be organized into three tiers: the Bronze Life-Saving Medal, the Bronze Medal of Merit, and the Service Bar.

A 40-year career, and a culture question

Among the evening’s service milestones will be kudos for Officer Stephen Thurston, being honored for 40 years of service. Perez said Thurston is among (if not, the) longest-serving officer in the department, noting that there are a few other long-tenured personnel on staff — including a commander with 43 years of service.

“A 40-year career in one department represents the culture of family, inclusiveness, and service to community,” Perez said. “It also represents a true spirit of someone who has a love for service, for public service — someone who is truly called upon to serve the public as a law enforcement officer.”

Other years-of-service honorees include officers reaching 25-year, 30-year, and 35-year milestones. The 25-year recipients are Lieutenant Mathew Campeau, Lieutenant Sam De Sylva, Corporal David Duran, Corporal Paul McKinney, and Corporal Ryan Smith. The 30-year recipients are Sergeant David Llanes, Corporal Veronica Burris, and Sergeant Mark Mendenhall. The 35-year recipients are Sergeant Kimberly Baecker, PSA Lola Fyles, and Corporal Jack Preston II.

The ceremony will also award the Medal of Merit to Officer Enrique Delgado, Officer Michael Bentley, and Officer Jesus Carrillo; the Bronze Life-Saving Medal to Officer John Calderon and Officer Justin Choe; Officer of the Year to Raymond Cardenas Jr.; and Professional Staff Member of the Year to Maribel Martinez.

The Jim Stiver Award for Community Service will go to Brandon Carroll, and Certificates of Community Service will be presented to Jimmy Castro, Crystal Marquez, Albert Garcia and Diane Reed.

A different schedule, a different expectation

One of the most visible changes this year is the time. The ceremony has moved from its traditional early-afternoon window to a 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. slot — a decision Perez called “100 percent intentional.”

“We wanted to make the event as accessible as possible to our employees’ families, as well as community members and business owners alike,” she said. “Shifting to these hours — more of an early evening time slot — allows more people to attend and participate and truly share the experience of recognizing the outstanding work of our personnel and our community members.”

Ticket purchases for non-award recipients are new this year as well, and represent what Perez called a modest fundraising mechanism intended to help offset ceremony costs. Beyond operating costs, any additional revenue will be reinvested into future ceremonies. Ticket holders who cannot attend are being encouraged to donate their seats to family members of award recipients — a gap the ceremony’s budget does not cover.

Why a realtor is making the calls

Working alongside Perez is George Penner, founder of the George Penner team at Compass and a graduate of the Pasadena Police Citizens Academy. Penner is serving as an advisor for the ceremony, a role Perez said was necessary given the department’s tight budget and her own law-enforcement rather than business background.

“Having been in law enforcement for almost 30 years, I’m going to be the first one to tell you I don’t come from a business or event planning background,” Perez said. “With a very restrictive budget, it was super important to bring in someone who could offer a different perspective — someone more business-minded.”

Penner, for his part, described the decision to get involved as straightforward.

“I’m a graduate of the Pasadena Police Citizens Academy, and I’ve always been supportive of the police and fire departments in Pasadena,” Penner said in a separate interview on Wednesday. “What struck me most about this is that, to the best of my knowledge, the Pasadena Police had really not provided a comprehensive award show to recognize the men and women of the police department for heroic and other noteworthy contributions to the city. It was a surprise to me.”

Penner said he has been focusing his outreach on Pasadena residents rather than corporate sponsors. His pitch, he said, is simple.

“These men and women are in our neighborhoods 24 hours a day, and if you need something, that’s going to be the first call you make to them. Here’s an opportunity to better understand what they do — and also an opportunity to meet and chat with them in the context of a really wonderful event.”

The citizens part of ‘Police and Citizens Awards’

Penner and Perez both returned repeatedly to a point Penner said deserves greater attention and focus: this ceremony honors private citizens, too.

Last year’s recipients included a 13-year-old girl recognized for saving her cousins. Penner mentioned a neighbor he believes will be recognized this year for her work with the Pink Patch Program, which raises money for breast cancer awareness.

“It’s important for citizens to be able to attend these events — one, to better connect with the police officers and the police personnel, but also to have an opportunity to really learn what they do and what challenges they face on a daily basis,” Penner said. “Sometimes people are surprised at the plethora of different calls that they’re involved with every single day.”

Penner said the community engagement runs far beyond the ceremony itself — through the Police Activities League, the Police Explorer Program, and “Coffee with a Cop” events held at rotating locations throughout the city. He pointed to the previous night’s neighborhood meeting, where five Pasadena Police Department members met with more than 35 residents, as another example of the department’s regular touchpoints with the community.

“They are an integral part of the community,” Penner said. “They are touching the community in ways to make sure that people recognize that they’re just people too, doing a great service for this city.”

What success looks like

Asked what success would feel like on the morning of Thursday, May 7 — the day after the ceremony — Perez answered directly.

“It’ll start with a sense of relief, to be quite honest, and a lot of pride,” she said.

Perez cited her people, her program coordinator Ena Kessler, and everyone in the Community Relations Section for the work they put into making the ceremony a success. “Putting this together, this event has been a monumental task. There’s no question about that. Everyone in my section has risen to the occasion. If on May 6 we create an experience where our personnel and community members feel genuinely recognized and appreciated, then I’ll know it was all worth it.”

Penner’s closing pitch to any resident considering whether to attend was short and sweet.

“If they don’t have a direct connection, this is a wonderful opportunity for them to obtain a direct connection — and really learn what the department does every single day to protect, keep them safe, and serve the community in a very honorable way.”

Donations to support the ceremony are tax-deductible and should be made payable to the Pasadena Police Foundation. For more information, contact Lt. Perez at andreaperez@cityofpasadena.net.