THE BILLY OSBORN MEMORIAL AWARD
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| Ladies and Gentlemen,
The WSATI Southern Chapter Executive Board decided that it has been too long since the Chapter's Billy Osborn Memorial Award was presented to a Southern Chapter Member. In the past, a committee made recommendations for the Award. Due to a death, medical issues, and retirements, the committee ceased to function. The Executive Board now wishes to get all of the Southern Chapter members involved. If you believe that someone you know deserves to be nominated for the Billy Osborn Award, please let the Executive Board know your thoughts. If you did not know Billy, Billy was a long-time friend of law enforcement while he was part of the State Farm SIU. Billy was also a long-time member of the Southern Chapter of WSATI. Billy was one of those people who you could always count on when you needed something, whether it was something planned months in advance or something that came up which needed immediate response. Quite literally, Billy would find a vehicle for a bait car at a moment's notice, or somehow locate $5,000 buy money late on a Friday afternoon...and he would deliver them to you with a smile on his face. After Billy's untimely death, the WSATI Southern Chapter memorialized him by establishing an annual award to recognize an individual within the Southern Chapter who showed the contribution and dedication to vehicle theft investigation and WSATI that was so apparent by Billy. If you know of someone in the Organization that fits the criteria, an individual within the Southern Chapter who has shown the contribution and dedication to vehicle theft investigation and WSATI that Billy showed, please feel free to nominate them for the award. Please forward any nominations to the Executive Board by April 1st, 2008. The following people have been recognized by the Southern Chapter membership and presented the Billy Osborn Memorial Award: |
| YEAR | RECIPIENT | AGENCY AT TIME OF AWARD |
| 2004 | BILL LOVOLD | AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SIU |
| 2003 | LOU KOVEN | LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT BAD CATS |
| 2002 | CAROL VANNATTER | AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SIU |
| 2001 | TERRY CRAMER | ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT |
| 2000 | FRITZ GRIMSLEY | CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL |
| 1999 | GARY LABB | SANTA ANA POLICE DEPARTMENT |
| 1998 | JOAN PITTS | HERTZ RENT-A-CAR |
| 1997 | JERRY PARK | SAN DIEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT |
| 1997 | GEORGE SENTMAN | AVIS RENT-A-CAR |
| 1996 | GENE MEREGILLANO | ESCONDIDO POLICE DEPARTMENT |
| 1996 | EMILE MAASSEN | AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SIU |
| 1995 | MYRON SMITH | CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL |
| 1994 | DAN RYAN | FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION |
| 1993 | MARIANNE FINNEY | STATE FARM INSURANCE SIU |
| For photos of the past recipients of this award, please
click
here.
At the March 17th, 2005 meeting of the WSATI Southern Chapter, Past President and 1999 Billy Osborn Award recipient Gary Labb (Santa Ana Police / OCATT) came up to the podium to make the Billy Osborn Memorial Award presentation. Gary spoke of the background of the award and his contacts with Billy. Gary then announced the 2004 recipient of the award to be Bill Lovold, Los Angeles Police Department BAD-CATS (retired) and currently with the AAA Southern California Special Investigations Unit. Bill came up and spoke about how honored he was because he had had the opportunity to work with Billy Osborn. Bill was recognized for his many years as a Detective assigned to BAD-CATS, his years of working with insurance company special investigation units, and his many contributions to the WSATI Southern Chapter. Bill is a past president and has been involved in the behind the scenes work for many of the Southern Chapter hosted seminars as well as the recent IAATI Seminar. Bill has been the driving force behind the golf tournaments that keep coming up at seminars.
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