Santa Barbara City Police honored employees at recognition and promotion ceremony

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - After two years of limited gatherings the Santa Barbara City Police Department expressed joy seeing everyone together again.

“Unfortunately with Covid it’s been very difficult with the restrictions that we have,” said spokesperson Ethan Ragsdale of the Santa Barbara City Police Department. "This is our first back in person large scale promotional and recognition ceremony."

 The ceremony included officers, along with their family and friends to honor the achievements of those throughout the department.

"It was actually two years worth of awards because of Covid … we hadn’t done one last year … and it’s really to honor the men and women in the service … in what they do … and to acknowledge the next generation of leaders in the Police Department," said chief Barney Melekian of the Santa Barbara City Police Department.

The ceremony recognized the sworn and professional staff employees who have been selected as Employees of the Year, as well as promoting several sworn members of the department.

"It’s very meaningful you can see peoples families came .., their coworkers came … I think it means a great deal to be in the same space again with everyone," said Mekekian.

Officers say they hope to continue striving toward being connected with the community.

"One of our biggest goals at the Santa Barbara police depart is to have that outreach is to have that connection and that transparency with the community as well as internal relationships that we have with our officers," said Ragsdale.

There were nine awards recipients and 8 promotions honored at the ceremony.