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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 11, No. 38
Knights honor first responders by Justin Lafferty Staff Writer
East County police officers and firefighters routinely give years of their lives to help and protect residents, work that often goes unheralded. The Knights of Columbus are doing something to change that. The organization dedicated time last weekend to honor those men and women at a first-responders awards luncheon at the Lone Tree Golf Course. The ceremony honored the Police Officer of the Year from Antioch, Pittsburg and the California Highway Patrol. The Contra Costa County Fire Department also presented its Firefighter of the Year award. Officer James Stenger was named Antioch’s Police Officer of the Year. Stenger, who also served in the U.S. Army, has been a member of APD since 2002, taking on a variety of roles. Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando, who introduced Stenger, spoke glowingly of the impact that the officer has made.
Photos by Justin Lafferty
Antioch Police Officer of the Year James Stenger receives a declaration from Antioch Vice Mayor Wade Harper during the Knights of Columbus awards luncheon. Cantando noted that since 2002, Stenger has received 15 recommendations from fellow officers. “I’m so honored that I was picked for this,” Stenger said. “I couldn’t believe it when it happened. There are so many good people in our department. So
many people that deserve this award. I can’t say enough how much I appreciate it.” Cantando noted that Stenger has been especially efficient in gang cases. During one case, in which a suspect accidentally shot a fellow gang member friend, the
victim was hesitant to comply with police. Stenger was able to gain the victim’s trust so the investigation could proceed. “He has earned the respect of his coworkers and dangerous gang members by the way he treats people,” Cantando said. “If not for the professionalism and teamwork of all the members involved in the case, namely Officer Stenger, this case would’ve likely been another unsolved shooting.” Pittsburg Police Chief Aaron Baker awarded officer Richard Hosier with his city’s Officer of the Year designation. Baker praised Hosier’s composure and courage in the line of fire. Hosier started his career in Pittsburg as a reserve officer in 1994. Baker also noted that Hosier meshes well with the community and has been a vital asset in the city’s fight against vehicle crimes. While Hosier fought to recover vehicles, California Highway Patrol Officer of the Year Mark Mitchell worked to slow them
Staff Writer
Through the first half of the year, violent crime in Antioch has taken a significant dip compared to the same period in 2010. Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando, at a recent Antioch City Council meeting, attributed the 19.7-percent drop in violent crime – homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault – to heightened awareness from the community. “I’m very happy with the numbers that we see,” Cantando said. “A lot of this is from the work that our police officers are
“We still have a long way to go. Hopefully as we continue to build our resources, we can get these numbers looking even better.
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Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando doing, but a great deal of this is from our citizens who are taking the time to call in when they see something suspicious.” In addition to the decrease in violent crime, property crime is down 1.9 percent and crime overall has been lessened by 5.8 percent. Homicides have been halved – from six at this point last year to
three so far in 2011. And 41 fewer robberies and 42 fewer aggravated assault incidents were reported. “We still have a long way to go,” Cantando said. “Hopefully as we continue to build our resources, we can get these numbers looking even better.” Total arrests were down from 2,797 to 2,444, a 12.6-percent de-
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September 23, 2011
Shoppers get snippy
An effective way to cut household expenses is to whip out the scissors and practice the art of couponing. Page 1B
Blues obliterated The 13th annual Delta Blues Festival treated audiences to cool tunes on a hot summer day. Page 3A
Leading by example
see Responders page 15A
City sees big drop in violent crime by Justin Lafferty
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cline. Antioch City Council members commended Cantando and his hardworking staff for continuing to keep crime down despite a roughly 35-percent vacancy rate in the department. “Obviously, if we were a little more resource-rich, they might be doing even better,” Councilman Gary Agopian said. “I think (Cantando) raises a very good point about community participation, in terms of calling in.” The only category to see a rise was burglary. Cantando noted that since burglaries increase over see Crime page 15A
Harness hints
Olympians inspired local swimmers at a recent clinic. Video of the action can be viewed at www.thepress.net. Page 18A Calendar ............................ 15B Classifieds ......................... 11B Cop Logs ............................17A East County Life ................ 1B Entertainment ................... 8B Food ...................................... 7B Health & Beauty ................ 6B Milestones .......................... 5B Opinion ..............................16A Sports .................................18A FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A
Rousing Run
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