MADD to Honor Outstanding DUI Officers of the Year

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), San Diego will be honoring dozens of local police officers—including one from the district overseeing Rancho Bernardo and Rancho Peñasquitos—for their work in keeping intoxicated drivers off of the streets.

Of the 33 county officers being recognized as Outstanding DUI Officers of the Year, 11 are from the San Diego Police Department, including Officer Charles De La Cruz of the Northeastern Divison which includes RB and PQ. Eleven officers are also receiving the 2011 Century Award for netting 100 DUI arrests or more.

The winners will be honored at a Wednesday ceremony at the Town and Country Resort.

In 2010, crashes involving drunken drivers killed 49 people in San Diego County, compared to 76 the year before and 93 in 2006, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety.

The local honorees (a full list of winners is attached):

San Diego Police Department Outstanding DUI Officers of the Year (Division):

• Officer Charles De La Cruz (Northeastern)
• Officer Jeffrey Swett (Central)
• Officer Junar Fernandez (Southern)
• Detective Gary Gonzales (Sex Crimes Unit)
• Officer Joshua Jauregui (Eastern)
• Officer Michael Fish (Northern)
• Officer James Zirpolo (Traffic)
• Officer Tyler Doherty (Mid City)
• Acting Sgt. Kevin Valenzuela (Southeastern)
• Officer John G. Ampol Jr. (Western)