Excellence in service and setting high standards is the foundation upon which the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) stands. Attaining excellence on a continuous basis is the result of many dedicated staff, subject matter resources, the POST Advisory Committee and POST Commission members. This annual award recognizes all these individuals but, most particularly, those who have demonstrated sustained effort over time. These few individuals have made a difference and a lasting contribution. Their creativity, perseverance, and dedication to improve the California law enforcement profession is recognized with this “Exceptional Service” award.
Annually, the Commission may bestow this award upon one or more individuals and record their names on a perpetual award at POST. Recipients receive this award at the June Commission meeting. To preserve the “Exceptional Service” nature of this award, the Commission reserves the prerogative of not issuing the award in any given year.
The O.J. “Bud” Hawkins Exceptional Service Award is dedicated to the memory of Bud Hawkins, a long-time representative to the POST Commission for the Attorney General. The nominees for this award can be a member of POST staff, a volunteer subject matter resource, a POST Advisory Committee member, or a POST Commission member who has made significant contributions that reflect dedication, perseverance, and exceptional service to improving the professionalism of California law enforcement.
Bud Hawkins is the inspiration for this award because of his sustained contributions to California law enforcement covering six decades. Commissioner Hawkins left a legacy of contributions including the California CLETS System, advisor to 11 Attorneys Generals, and six years as the Attorney General’s representative to the POST Commission. His collaborative and constructive approach for solving problems and leading law enforcement groups set an example for all.
Selection Criteria
The selection criteria focus on an individual’s contributions, legacy, dedication, and exceptional service.
Eligibility
Any POST staff member, subject matter resource, POST Advisory Committee member, or POST Commission member may nominate, or be nominated, provided they are currently in this status or were so within the previous year to their nomination.
The POST Advisory Committee is responsible for reviewing all nominations and making a recommendation to the Commission at its February meeting. The Commission selects the awardee(s) at the February meeting and presents the awardee(s) with this award at the June Commission meeting.
No nominations were submitted for this award.
Selected for the 2009 O.J. “Bud” Hawkins’ Exceptional Service Award was James H. Fraser, Fraser and Associates, Inc. Jim started his career with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department before joining the US Army and serving in Vietnam. Jim is internationally recognized as an expert in anti-terrorism. Jim retired as a full colonel in 1993 during which time he has been working with POST on a number of projects. Jim has worked diligently for nearly two decades to develop highly-skilled and competent law enforcement instructors through the design, development, and delivery of several POST instructor programs. These programs include: the Master Instructor Development Program (MIDP), the Instructor Development Institute (IDI), the Instructor Symposium, and the Institute of Criminal Investigation (ICI) Instructor’s Course. Jim has also served on the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Terrorism Committee for eight years.
Jim has trained thousands of officers and public safety dispatchers, who serve as instructors in many of POST’s essential training programs. These instructors serve as the backbone of effective law enforcement training. Jim’s approach to training instructors pushes them to achievements beyond their own expectations and then pushes them even further. He has the tremendous ability to effectively communicate his expectations in ways that reach officers and executives alike. He brings out the best in people and he has been described as the “ultimate instructor.” He has also trained seven previous winners of the Governor’s Award for Training Excellence and the POST Excellence in Training Awards.
Selected for the 2008 O.J. “Bud” Hawkins’ Exceptional Service Award was William Kolender, Sheriff, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Kolender has dedicated 50 years of his life to the law enforcement profession. He was appointed and served on the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training five times since 1976. He has been a leader, an inspiration, and a mentor to members of the law enforcement community, his own community, and with legislators related to training and other matters of critical importance to law enforcement. His collaborative approach to problem solving has left a legacy of successes in addressing difficult and complex issues throughout his career.
Sheriff Kolender has been the recipient of many prestigious awards for his tireless work with groups and professional associations at the local, state, and national levels. He was the Chief of Police of the San Diego Police Department, Director of the California Youth Authority, and has been the Sheriff of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department since 1994. He has been a law enforcement advisor to several of California’s Governors. He is a former president of the California State Sheriffs’ Association, past president of the Major Cities Police Chiefs’ Association, and past president of the San Diego Police Officers’ Association and the California Council of Criminal Justice. Sheriff Kolender has been appointed by the Governor of California to the Mental Health Oversight and Accountability Commission and as a member of the San Diego Judicial Selection Advisory Committee.
Sheriff Kolender was presented with this prestigious trophy in a ceremony held in Sacramento on April 23, 2009.
Selected for the 2007 POST O.J. “Bud” Hawkins Exceptional Service Award was Kenneth J. O’Brien, former Executive Director of POST. The selection was made because he has dedicated his professional life to serving the people of California and public safety. During the 10 years that he was the Executive Director of POST, his leadership created an atmosphere of innovation and support for the POST Strategic Plan which was developed during his tenure as the Executive Director. Under his leadership, POST experienced many major accomplishments including increased funding, mandatory training for instructors in basic academies, mandatory field training for entry-level peace officers, incorporating leadership, ethics, and community policing throughout the basic training curricula, establishing the regional skills training center concept, and developing basic courses student workbooks.
Mr. O’Brien dedicated over 50 years of his life to the law enforcement profession. Thirty-one years were served with the San Diego Police Department, and the remainder of the time was spent as the Director of Investigations for the State Bar of California, as the first Inspector General for the California Youth and Adult Corrections Agency, and, finally, as a consultant, bureau chief, and the Executive Director of POST.