Behind the Badge
Whether it was taking down vicious gang members or providing expert testimony to help arrest a gang member, helping to quickly find an elderly woman with dementia and return her to her family, or saving the life of a teacher who collapsed on campus, Santa Ana cops were out in the community protecting and serving.
On Tuesday, August, 13, four Santa Ana Police Officers were recognized for their efforts during the 2023 calendar year at the seventh Responders First banquet at Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary in Santa Ana.
Santa Ana Police Chief Robert Rodriguez, center, with Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary Responders First Award recipients, Officer Bernardo Camacho, left, Officer Renald Galstian, (Chief Robert Rodriguez), Officer Bradley Sharp and Officer Adam Sattar.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
This year’s winning group featured two previous winners in Ofc. Bradley Sharp and Det. Bernardo Camacho, two recently promoted to Detective, Adam Sattar and Camacho, and a relative newcomer to the department, Renald Galstian.
With the awards on display behind him, Santa Ana Police Chief Robert Rodriguez welcomes everyone to the Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary Responders First Award ceremony.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
The four were honored with plaques and dinner on the Fairhaven grounds. In addition, $100 donations were made to local charities chosen by the officers.
Acting Chief Robert Rodriguez said the winners were both exemplary and yet, in a way, ordinary as they “embody our values and vision.”
“They’re just a snapshot of our department,” Rodriguez said. “They all do amazing work. I’m very proud of them.”
Stephanie Alvarez, General Manager for Fairhaven, said the mortuary launched the awards program in 2018 to honor those who chose, “a profession where they put their lives on the line every day.”
Rodriguez said it was particularly gratifying when groups outside the police department stepped up to show appreciation.
“It’s great to see them recognized by our community partners,” he said.
The detectives were nominated on a quarterly basis in the previous year by their commanding officers. Command staff then finalized the nominees into the four winners.
This year’s Responders First winners are:
Det. Bernardo Camacho
Santa Ana PD Officer Bernardo Camacho receives the Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary Responders First Award from Stephanie Alvarez, left, and Angelica Garcia.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
The nomination for Camacho said he “consistently demonstrates his exemplary policing abilities which have produced tangible effects on the criminal element.”
While on patrol, Camacho emerged as a go-to resource on gangs and gang activity, although he credits mentors Cpl. Sal Lopez and Cpl. Carlos Luevano.
In 2023, Camacho, born and raised in Santa Ana, twice assisted the Gang Suppression and Vice units on warrant services as well being involved in community events.
In back-to-back months, April and May, Camacho helped initiate a pair of important arrests in which guns and narcotics were seized. In April, Camacho stopped a known gang member after a traffic violation, helped arrest two other gang members attempting to flee and recovered a loaded Glock, methamphetamine and evidence of fraud and grand theft. In another instance, while cross-training with Directed Enforcement, Camacho stopped a parolee on a motor violation and discovered a loaded ghost gun and more than 20 grams of meth.
A donation was made in his name to Child Creativity Lab, a Santa Ana nonprofit that teaches STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) with kits using reclaimed and “upcycled” materials.
Ofc. Bradley Sharp
Santa Ana PD Officer Bradley Sharp receives the Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary Responders First Award from Stephanie Alvarez, left, and Zoraya Flores.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Sgt. Darren Zroka wrote of Sharp that he “has deservingly been labeled as one of the best investigators in all of patrol. Not only does Officer Sharp have an extensive knowledge of the law, but also has set himself aside as a go-to model for junior officers and peers when investigating complex or very involved investigations.”
The nomination stated, “Many FTO’s will have new officers read his reports as an example of thoroughness.”
Earlier this year, at the SAPD 36th annual Employee Recognition and Awards Ceremony, Sharp, a 10-year veteran at the department, was honored with a Life Saving Award.
He was part of a team of officers who helped save the life of Century High School teacher Lance Neal after he collapsed on campus. The team used an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) device and administered CPR to restore the heart rhythm.
Although Sharp said he has performed CPR many times, this was his first time using an AED in the field.
“I opened it up and the first thing it said was, ‘Don’t Panic,’” Sharp recalled.
He hopes to move up to detective in the future.
A donation was made in his name to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Det. Adam Sattar
Santa Ana PD Officer Adam Sattar receives the Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary Responders First Award from Stephanie Alvarez, left, and Jeff Medeiros.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
In nominating Sattar for the award, as he did for Camacho, Cpl. Armando Aparicio used the same verbiage of the patrolman displaying “exemplary policing abilities, which have produced tangible effects on the criminal element.”
The similar description made sense, as Satar, like Camacho, was recently made a Gang Unit Detective.
Sattar was also noted for his knowledge of gangs and search warrants.
“Gangs was a goal as soon as I got to the department,” Sattar said.
Last year, Sattar testified as a gang expert in a hearing that led to a New Delhi gang member being arrested on gun and vandalism charges.
Sattar also wrote the warrant and is part of an ongoing investigation of phone records to catch a person who called in a bomb threat to the Santa Ana Jail and Police Station.
A graduate of UC Irvine with a degree in criminology and six-year vet at Santa Ana, Sattar said he has developed an interest in “the complexity of writing search warrants,” for cellphones.
He directed his donation to Project Youth OC, a Santa Ana nonprofit that works to at-risk youth in school, healthy and drug-free through education, counseling, mentoring, and family strengthening.
Ofc. Renald Galstian
Santa Ana PD Officer Renald Galstian receives the Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary Responders First Award from Stephanie Alvarez, left, and Ana Enriquez.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
A relatively new member of the SAPD, with only 2 ½ years on patrol, Galstian is already making his mark.
He also gained firsthand insight into the effects police can have on the lives of everyday citizens beyond taking down criminals and seizing guns and drugs.
Galstian played a key role last year in getting the word out quickly to help find an 85-year-old woman who suffered from dementia and had disappeared.
“The family came to the station with flowers,” Galstian said.
Galstian, who came to Santa Ana via the Los Angeles Airport Police.
His goal is to become a K-9 Officer and has already volunteered to be an “agitator.”
Those are the lucky people who don protective clothing and serve as human chew toys during K-9 training.
Galastian’s donation was to the Homenetmen Burbank Sipan chapter, a nonprofit offering athletic events and opportunities for the Armenian diaspora community.
Honoring Santa Ana Police first responders at the Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary Responders First Award ceremony from left are, Carlos Valenzuela, Jeremy Tjaden, Angelica Garcia, Stephanie Alvarez, Cpl. Armando Aparicio, award recipient Officer Bernardo Camacho, award recipient Officer Renald Galstian, Santa Ana Police Chief Robert Rodriguez, Santa Ana Councilman Phil Bacerra, award recipient Officer Bradley Sharp, award recipient Officer Adam Sattar, Commander Gil Hernandez, Jeff Medeiros, Zoraya Flores, Ana Enriquez and Andrew Linares.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary Responders First Award recipient, Santa Ana PD Officer Renald Galstian, with his family at the awards ceremony.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary honors Santa Ana Police officers with the Responders First Award.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
