June 2, 2006

Top cops recognized at Eastridge’s Hometown Hero Breakfast

Select group of San Jose Police officers honored for
outstanding community service

By Diego Abeloos
Editor

More than 15 officers from the San Jose Police Department were treated to a buffet-style breakfast and were presented certificates of recognition during Eastridge Mall’s 2006 Hometown Hero Breakfast on May 24.

More than 15 officers from the San Jose Police Department were honored for their roles in community service and other charitable endeavors on May 24 with the Hometown Hero Breakfast, held at the Red Robin restaurant in Eastridge Mall

The breakfast was held at the Red Robin Restaurant, and was in recognition of the officers’ collective services to the community, and for extending a hand to people in need.

“I think their presence here has had a really positive influence on us,” said John Petersen, General Manager of Eastridge Mall. “We wanted to do something to show our appreciation, and we came up with several ideas. We thought a breakfast, and inviting those officers in the department that do things about and beyond the call of duty, was a nice gesture on our part. …We’ve seen quite a growth and influence on our own security officers, just by having the San Jose Police Department down here. This was just a small token of our appreciation towards them.”

SJPD Captain Jack Farmer, who handed the awards out to his fellow officers, also received a certificate of recognition for his 30 years of service in the department. Farmer said the breakfast was a wonderful gesture of appreciation by Eastridge.

“Not just so much for me, but I’ll tell you, it’s so thoughtful on the part of Eastridge and General Growth Properties to do this,” said Farmer. “It’s one thing to say thank you, but it’s quite another to say thank you, have a breakfast, and then award certificates to our staff. I look at the smiles on the officers’ faces. They do a lot of work for this community, and partnerships are extremely important to us. If you want to talk about a perfect example of partnerships, it happened here this morning.”

SJPD Officer Phillip White shows his certificate of recognition on May 24. In his spare time, White has served as the head boys’ basketball coach for Overfelt High School for several years.

Among those honored was Officer Phillip White, who also helped coordinate the breakfast to honor his colleagues. White currently serves as a plain-clothed officer at Eastridge, coordinating SJPD patrols at the mall, as well as working cohesively with the mall’s security team. In addition, White has also served as a mentor to East San Jose’s youth as head boys’ basketball coach at Overfelt High for the past several years. He is also an assistant coach for Overfelt’s football program.

White said coaching the East Side’s youth has been a learning experience for him, and the athletes under his tutelage.

“It allows them to see a police officer in a different light,” said White. “They don’t see me as a police officer. They see me as a coach and a mentor, and in a lot of cases, because a lot of them come from single parent homes, as a father figure. I really look to take care of these kids because If I’m not going to do it, then who is? It’s just very important to me.”

White said he his proudest of the fact that all of his players have moved on from Overfelt to seek higher education opportunities in college.

In addition to White, Officer Brian Spears was honored for his weekly role as a volunteer for the Vanished Children’s Alliance. Spears, a nine-year veteran of the department, has also helped coordinate Missing Children’s Awareness Day for the past several years, involving nearly 100 schools throughout San Jose, Modesto and many other cities in Northern California.

(from left) SJPD Captain Jack Farmer, Eastridge Mall security Captain Omar Sanchez, and SJPD Deputy Chief Daniel Katz at the 2006 Hometown Hero Breakfast on May 24.

“Chief (Rob) Davis has made it clear that he wants us to work closely with the community,” Farmer said. “It’s something that’s vitally important to him and that’s something we’re really making a lot of end roads on.”

While several other officers were honored for their good deeds in the community, one person closely associated with Eastridge got a mild surprise of his own. Omar Sanchez, a security officer at Eastridge Mall for more than five years, was promoted to Captain and Assistant Director of Public Safety for his work in keeping the mall a safe environment for families. Sanchez, who is in training to become a police officer, said the recognition was gratifying.

“It’s an honor for me,” said Sanchez. “It was a big surprise. I didn’t expect it. I thought the highest level I could’ve gone here was lieutenant, but captain is a new position they decided to open up, and I’m just very happy.”