South Lake Tahoe, CA –  In honor of Peace Officer Memorial Week, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department honored officers, citizens and the Swanson Family  during its Annual Awards Ceremony.

Police Chaplain Jerry Foster opened and closed the ceremony in prayer to remember the families, agencies and communities who endured the loss of ten California Peace Officers killed in the line of duty over the last year.  The ceremony included recognition and honoring of our local officers and other professionals in our criminal justice system who have demonstrated exemplary performance.

Richard Swanson was a 16-year-old South Tahoe High School student who was murdered while working at a local gas station in 1980.  In 2010, the Swanson family came before the City of South Lake Tahoe City Council and asked if the case could be reinvestigated.  At the awards ceremony, Richard’s father, Ron Swanson, delivered an address to note the dedication and involvement of all involved agencies including; South Lake Tahoe Police Department, El Dorado County Sheriffs and District Attorney Offices, California Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Criminalists contributed to the investigation and successful prosecution of Andrew Sanford on April 23, 2014 of the 1980 murder of Richard Swanson.

Officer Andy Eissinger received an award for Distinguished Service.  Dispatcher Jillian Broadfoot was awarded for Meritorius Service.  Todd and Zetta Friedel and Cory Escobar received the Citizen Award of Merit.  Explorer Daniel Loyola received the Distinguished Explorer award.  Officers Jason Cheney, Travis Cabral and Cory Wilson all received recognition from the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) organization for their contributions toward enforcing DUI laws.