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Manteca Rotary honors peace officers
Law Day observation
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Manteca Rotary honored peace officers Thursday during its annual Law Day observation.

A packed Manteca Transit Center crowd lauded honorees:

*Andrew Wertman, a California Highway Patrol officer assigned to the Stockton area.

*Ian Osborn, a detective with the Manteca Police Department.

*Edward Alves, a San Joaquin County deputy sheriff assigned to Lathrop Police Services.

*Javier Guzman, a probation officer with the San Joaquin County Probation Department.

*Robert J. Faine, a criminal investigator with the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office.

Wertman started his career with the CHP in 2001. He was described as a “conscientious patrol officer who has excellent work ethic, dedicated service, the highest integrity, and excellent judgment in stressful situations.”

Wertman was among the officers deployed to the Chico area in November to provide vital services to communities devastated by the Camp Fire that killed 85 people and destroyed more than 19,000 structures. He worked 18 to 20 hour days in the fire zone. Between deployments he continued to work in Stockton.

Osborn joined the Manteca Police Department as an Explorer in 1997. He started his career as a full-time officer in Manteca in 2006. Osborn is not only an asset to the Streets Crime Unit and Explosive Ordinance Disposal team he is assigned to, but he has contributed to the success of the department as a whole. He initiated several cases this year resulting in the seizure of a number of pounds of meth, large sums of money, and firearms.

Osborn made it clear the street crimes unit consisting of five officers that in the past year seized 41 pounds of marijuana, 4,100 marijuana plants, 13 pounds of heroin, 16 pounds of meth, and 37 firearms “is a complete team effort.”

Alves has been assigned to Lathrop Police Services as a field training officer for the past five years. He was described as “quiet and unassuming leader who helps when he can and provides valuable intel to fellow deputies and command staff that commonly leads to arrests.

He has made 148 felony arrests during his tenure in Lathrop and led the division in 2018 with 58 arrests. His forte of locating and recovering stolen cars that has led to a number of arrests has earned him recognition from the CHP. He and his partner were responsible for 27 arrests and numerous citations involving predators who prey on children on the Internet.

Guzman has been employed by the probation department for almost 13 years. He was described as a “team player (who) willingly assists his co-workers.” Guzman was also said to be “passionate about his job and this is reflected in day-to-day interactions with youth, staff, and outside agencies.”

He also is the probation department’s first canine handler. His canine partner is Justice.

Faine began working with the Stockton Police Department in 1986 where he handled a variety of assignments. he capped his career as a “seasoned” homicide detective handling over 100 homicide investigations.

Faine joined the District Attorney’s Office as a criminal investigator in 2013. He played a key role in the creation of the new Public Integrity Unit. He has been the lead investigator in a number of high profile cases such as the embezzlement of public funds by a former Stockton mayor and election fraud within the Manteca Unified School District.

The Rotary awards are presented in memory of Don I. Asher. He was a city attorney, deputy district attorney, and served as both a municipal and superior court judge.

 

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com