Capt. Chad Randall, Mayor Tom Reid and Officer De La Cruz
On Thursday (April 9), Officer Osiel De La Cruz was recognized as the Pearland Officer of the Year by the Texas Louisiana Gulf Coast District (TLGCD) and the Exchange Club of Pearland at the 50th Annual Crime Prevention Luncheon.
The event took place at the City Centre at Quail Valley in Missouri City and included a luncheon and a presentation by Deven Schei of the Wounded Warrior Project.
TLGCD President Tony Ackerman stated it was an honor to recognize area law enforcement officers for their work in the community, service to the public and heroic actions.
Officer De La Cruz, a five- year veteran of the department and night shift patrol officer, was recognized for his continued daily hard work. This included making 53 DWI and drug related arrests last year, finding a shooting victim that led the arrest of five offenders and his apprehension of an aggravated robbery suspect while off-duty.
Captain Chad Randall of the Pearland Police Department said, “When I looked at the accomplishments of Officer De La Cruz this year, I could not help but think to myself, this was simply par for the course. This could have been last year or the year before. Officer De La Cruz consistently provides a high level of service to the citizens of Pearland.”
De La Cruz’s wife, parents and brother, as well as Pearland Mayor Tom Reid, City Manager Clay Pearson, Randall, Sergeant Ornaldo Ybarra and Awards Committee member Detective Eric Morton joined him at the presentation.
In addition to the recognition certificate, De La Cruz received a challenge coin and will be receiving a United States flag that has been flown over the U.S. Capitol.
The Wounded Warrior Project’s vision is, “To foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation’s history” and its purpose is, “To raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members; to help injured service members aid and assist each other; and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members,” according to WoundedWarriorProject.org.
To learn more about TLGCD, visit TLGCD.org. For more information about the Exchange Club of Pearland, visit TheExchangeClubOfPearland.org.
