OXNARD : Kiwanis Club Lauds Traffic Officer
Traffic Officer Thomas Chronister, an eight-year veteran with the Oxnard Police Department, has been chosen Officer of the Year by the Kiwanis Club of South Oxnard.
Chronister, 32, is a lifelong Oxnard resident and a member of the First Lutheran Church in Camarillo. He is credited with developing new testing techniques for drunk-driving cases and starting a drive to buy a radar sign to teach people about driving at unsafe speeds.
“He is continually striving to make our organization more efficient by researching and formulating new ideas,” said Sgt. George Pultz, who nominated Chronister.
About 50 guests, including Kiwanis members, police officers and elected officials, attended the awards ceremony last week at the Oxnard Hilton. The award, in its 25th year, is the only one handed out by civilians to reward police work. “This is one of the rare occasions when police officers get patted on the back by residents, and we really appreciate it,” said Senior Officer Michael Palmieri, who won the award in 1990.
Others nominated for this year’s award were Daniel O. Christian, Tyson C. Hardman, Richard D. Harris, Martin Meyer and Lisa C. Ragone.
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