Thompson Announces 2022 Sonoma County Public Safety Heroes
Sonoma County – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05)announced Kristy and Bob Brindley of the Just1Mike Foundation, Santa Rosa Police Office Westin Schindler, and the Santa Rosa Police Department Special Enforcement Team as the 2022 Sonoma County Public Safety Heroes. Each year, Thompson honors law enforcement officers and first responders in our community who have gone above and beyond the call of duty.
"Our first responders play an essential role in keeping our communities safe and saving lives. Every year, it is a great honor to be able to recognize some of our public safety heroes from our district for their incredible work on behalf of our communities," said Thompson. "When the Brindley's faced the unimaginable loss of their son Michael, they took their grief and turned it into purpose to help save young people from cardiac arrest. Officer Schindler demonstrates the values of persistence and commitment to keeping our communities safe and ensuring that justice can be delivered. I am proud to recognize the SRPD's Special Enforcement Team for their continued efforts to rid our streets of ghost guns and help save lives. I am honored to recognize these incredible heroes for all of their efforts to protect and serve our communities."
In 2016, the Brindley's lost their youngest son, Michael, to sudden cardiac arrest. A year later, they founded the Just1Mike Foundation, in honor of Michael's beloved sports blog, to increase survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest in children and young adults. The Just1Mike Foundation began its work in Chicago, providing cardiac screenings for thousands of high school students. In 2018, the Brindley's moved to California and, through their foundation, have donated four automated external defibrillators SaveStations to Sonoma Valley High School, eight to the Sonoma Valley Boys & Girls Clubs, and many more throughout our communities. Their SaveStations already helped save the life of Sonoma Valley High School student earlier this year.
Officer Schindler typically works during the Santa Rosa Police Department's busiest shifts but has managed to also invest significant time in the prevention of criminal activity through proactive traffic enforcement stops and investigations. In the last year, he has seized ten illegally possessed firearms, including numerous Polymer80 "Ghost Guns" and assault rifles. He has also authored a search warrant and led an operation typically reserved for specialized detectives that led to the rapid seizure of evidence before it could be destroyed.
The Santa Rosa Police Department established the Special Enforcement Team in July 2021 in response to a rise in violent crime within the city of Santa Rosa. Their mission to combat this trend via the confiscation of illegal guns (particularly privately made "Ghost Guns") and contact repeat offenders. In 2021, the team seized 44 firearms, an increase of 29 from the previous year. In the first six months of this year, they have seized 49 ghost guns. In total, the team's work has led to a 75 percent increase in total gun seizures and a 179 percent increase in ghost gun seizures. Most important, shootings within the City of Santa Rosa have decreased by 31 percent since the team's inception.
The full list of the Public Safety Heroes of the Year for the Fifth Congressional District is below:
- Captain John Angell, Crockett-Carquinez Fire Department
- Sergeant Zach Lekse, Martinez Police Department
- Cory Smith, Lake County Fire
- Officer Juan Altamirano, Lakeport Police Department
- Rodger Collinson, Napa Fire Department
- Deputy Brian Ringo, Napa County Sheriff's Office
- Deputy Joseph Schiavoni, Napa County Sheriff's Office
- Detective Rory Logan, Benicia Police Department
- Robert O'Connor, Solano County Paramedic
- Kristy and Bob Brindley, Just1Mike Foundation
- Officer Westin Schindler, Santa Rosa Police Department
- Sergeant Terry White and Officers Jason Jucutan, Jeff Badger, Dane Schindler, and Brett Wright, Santa Rosa Police Department Special Enforcement Team