Crime & Safety

Big Congrats to Santa Cruz Officer & Firefighter of the Year!

This year's honors went to Officer Eileen Fincutter and Firefighter Clayton Ogden.

News from the Santa Cruz Police Department: 

On Friday night, the Surf City Exchange Club hosted the fabulous Blue & Gold Dinner for police officers and firefighters to honor the Officer of the Year and the Firefighter of the Year.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients - Officer Eileen Fincutter and Firefighter Clayton Ogden.
  
Both were selected for this honor by their colleagues.
   
Not only were they honored with certificates, presentations and speeches, but they got a cake with their faces on it. How cool is that?

Officer Fincutter currently works as our Alcohol Beverage Control officer.  Her work consists of ensuring responsible beverage service by our alcohol outlets.  She also has an impressive record of DUI arrests, keeping our streets safe from drunk drivers.  

She has saved untold lives with her commitment to this.  Eileen has been honored each of the past 2 years by MADD and the CHP for her DUI enforcement efforts.
 
Clayton was at the scene where our officers ended the shootout with Butch and Elizabeth’s killer.  When shots rang out, Clayton dove over members of the public shielding them from bullets with his own body.  That is true heroics when it matters. 

We are VERY proud of Eileen and Clayton for their hard work and dedication in ensuring a safe community for Santa Cruz.
 
This was a great evening of food and fun as well as some good-natured ribbing back and forth between the police and firefighters.  Just remember, God made police officers so firefighters could have heroes, too.
 
Big THANKS go out to the Surf City Exchange Club for a great dinner and great event to recognize our public safety team. 


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