Officers Petition for Award for Slain Peer

More than 100 Oxnard police officers have signed a petition demanding that the Peace Officers Assn. of Ventura County reverse its decision from earlier this month and award slain Sheriff’s Deputy Peter John Aguirre Jr. a Medal of Valor.

In a letter sent to Aguirre’s widow, Dina, Oxnard Police Cmdr. Charles Hookstra said that 103 Oxnard officers signed the petition, which was sent to the governing board of the association.

Hookstra assured Dina Aguirre that “the decision of the Board of the Peace Officers Association of Ventura County was theirs alone and not the opinion of the 800 members of the association.”

Earlier this month, the association decided not to award Aguirre a Medal of Valor for his actions July 17, when he was shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call. Instead, the association board decided to give Aguirre a newly created Distinguished Service Award.

The association has been roundly criticized by Sheriff Larry Carpenter and members of Aguirre’s family, who returned the award that was given to them in the slain deputy’s name.

In response, the association offered its “heartfelt apology” to the family and explained that the decision was not meant to be a slight to the slain deputy’s sacrifice.

Instead, association President Gino Rodriguez said the Distinguished Service Award was actually the association’s highest honor. Rodriguez’s explanation, however, did not seem to satisfy family members.

On Wednesday, Carpenter awarded Aguirre the Sheriff’s Star for Honor and Valor for his courage.

In his letter to Aguirre’s widow, Hookstra said the association’s actions showed it had lost touch with its members.

“It is clear that the majority of the POAVC board has lost perspective of their intended purpose,” Hookstra said. “That purpose is to accurately represent the members of this association. Their purpose is not to sit in judgment of this valiant deputy by making poor, uninformed decisions.”