Manteca Police Officer Dave Brown noticed a disquieting trend that was sweeping across retail businesses being targeted by seemingly organized teams looking to clean them out of valuable merchandise in a brazen and efficient manner.
And for his efforts in working to stamp out organized retail theft – where specific retailers are targeted for high-value items that are then resold on the street – Brown was honored as the Manteca Police Department recipient of the Don. I Asher Memorial Officer of the Year Award.
“Officer Brown is committed to his job and to helping our community while keeping them safe. He promotes teamwork within our department and within our community,” the Manteca Police said in a statement about Brown’s honor. “Officer Brown personifies the commitment that we want our officers to have in serving the community – his efforts and work are appreciated by many and he is always willing to help his co-workers and those in the community.
“His dedication and commitment to addressing issues is why he was chosen as our Officer of the Year.”
It was in his work as a patrol officer that Brown first started working closely with loss prevention officials from local retailers, and was the first to suggest the idea of local retailers submitting online shoplifting reports to the department that could then be tracked for trends across the community and compared to other cities in the region… Manteca / Ripon Bulletin