Simi's finest honors its best
By Carissa Marsh cmarsh@theacorn.com

Photo Courtesy of Beth Dooley SELFLESSNESS—K-9 Officer Vince Allegra, right, accepts the Michael F. Clark Award from Police Chief Mike Lewis during the Simi Valley Police Foundation Awards luncheon held Sept. 17. The award, named for Simi's only fallen officer, is given to the department employee who exemplifies "unselfish, extraordinary commitment" to Simi Valley.

Most days, Simi Valley police officer Vince Allegra works the graveyard shift, arriving at the station at 9 p.m. and heading home at 7 a.m. the next day.

The station is largely empty during that time, and only a few of his colleagues are around. Yet those who are, it seems, have taken notice of Allegra's tireless commitment to his job.

Allegra was the recipient of the Michael F. Clark Award at the 12th annual Police/Community Partnership Awards Luncheon held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Sept. 17. The 35-year-old police officer said it was an honor he never saw coming.

"It's surprising that I got chosen because I've worked graveyards a good 10 out of my 13 years and so I don't see everyone a lot."

Sponsored by the Simi Valley Police Foundation, the luncheon recognizes deserving department employees, volunteers and citizens.

The Clark Award, named after Simi's only fallen officer, is given to a department employee who exemplifies "unselfish, extraordinary commitment" to Simi Valley.

"It was an incredible honor," Allegra said. "To be recognized for the little stuff that you do—not even compared to what (Clark) did for everyone—that's pretty cool."

A Simi resident nearly all his life, Allegra graduated from Simi Valley High School in 1991.

He and his wife, Teri, have three children.

Allegra has been in law enforcement for as long as he's been married: 13 years.

He began his career at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in 1994 when he was 21 years old. He joined the Simi police force the following year.

"It was really a good move for me," he said. "I would have had to be working in the jail for five or six years, and here at Simi P.D. I was able to come to patrol right away."

But even more than wanting to be on the streets, Allegra wanted to be a K-9 handler.

"When you're in (the police academy) you get to see a lot of the different units," he said. "When the K-9 unit came in, they were there for about an hour, and that's all it took."

He reached his goal in 2000, becoming one of the department's four K-9 handlers.

Allegra said he likes to joke that it's easier to work with his canine partner, Rocco, than it is to work with a human.

"He doesn't tell me what to do except when we need to go to the park for a quick little break," he joked. "He's always excited to go to work."

At the same time, Allegra said he always has to watch out for Rocco to keep him safe and under control.

As a K-9 officer, his main job is to support the patrol unit, but he also has training sessions with Rocco once a week.

When he's not on the job, Allegra finds time for fun, playing guitar and singing in the unofficial department band, The Lineup, and hitting the waves on his days off with the SVPD Surf Crew—started by this year's Officer of the Year, Detective Greg Gonzales.

"It's a lot of fun to be out there, outside of work with the guys," Allegra said. "It's a blast."

Along with Allegra, eight others were honored for their achievements:

•Officers Steve Philbrook and Howard Horwitz received the Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Award for their dedication to enforcement of alcohol-related violations.

•Simi resident and senior Explorer Karista Garza was named Explorer of the Year for her dedication to the law enforcement program, which she attended in August 2007. The Santa Susana High School senior hopes to pursue a career in law after college.

•Lori Zafiropoulos was recognized as Volunteer of the Year for her commitment to the department. Capt. Ron Chambers called her a "model volunteer" who has dedicated her life to serving others. Zafiropoulos coordinates the Simi Valley Senior Center's annual fashion show and is a member of the Simi Valley Community Council, Simi Valley Police Foundation and Simi Valley Community Foundation.

•Crime Scene Investigator Rebecca McConnell was selected by the department members to receive the Civilian Employee of the Year award.

•Detective Gonzales received the Officer of the Year distinction, an honor that was decided by a vote of his peers. The Southern California native grew up in a law enforcement family and has worked numerous assignments during his tenure with Simi Police, including patrol, special operations, investigations—even sniper for the department's SWAT team.

•The department's Meritorious Service award went to Senior Officer Craig Dungan and Officer Nicole Anderson for their work implementing the Mobile Report Entry (MRE) system. Chambers said the project was "the single largest task the department has ever undertaken." The computerized system allows officers to write and submit incident reports on a laptop in the field instead of returning to the station.

Those in attendance also remembered Detective Gary Galloway, who passed away from lung cancer Nov. 21, 2007.

Galloway was a 30-year law enforcement veteran who spent 27 of those years working for Simi Police.

For most of his career, Galloway investigated the most sensitive of cases—crimes against children and sexual assaults.

While these are the most difficult cases for officers to work, Galloway never faltered in his dedication to the victims and to bringing the criminals responsible to justice, Chambers said.

"His true legacy is all that he has done for others," he said.