NEWHALL : CHP Honors Officer for Service to Area
A California Highway Patrol officer from the Newhall area has been named officer of the year for a relentless campaign to remove drunk drivers from county highways.
Ben Dibene, a 12-year CHP veteran, was selected by his peers from among 12 finalists from throughout Los Angeles County to receive the award, which he accepted before 400 colleagues at a CHP banquet Thursday in the City of Commerce.
In a statement announcing the award, CHP officials said Dibene was selected for “his dedication and unrelenting service to the area office and the citizens of the Santa Clarita Valley.”
“I never thought I would win the award,” the 35-year-old officer said. “But I was always striving to achieve the excellence it stands for.”
In the last decade, Dibene has arrested more than 2,000 motorists suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol. During that time, Dibene has also lectured elementary, junior high and high school students on the dangers of driving drunk.
“Driving under the influence of alcohol is probably the No. 1 cause of traffic fatalities,” Dibene said. “So when I take a drunk driver off the road I feel like I’m saving a life.”
Dibene joined the patrol in August, 1979, and in 1982 was assigned to the Newhall area, where he is now in charge of training and scheduling.
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