ATAC Chairperson CHP Border Lieutenant Matt Guthrie introduced the Irvine Police Department Honor Guard who presented the United States and California flags on the front stage.  Lieutenant Guthrie led the Pledge of Allegiance.  

Lieutenant Guthrie then introduced Orange County Sheriff's Department Chaplain Kathleen Kooiman who gave the invocation. 

Lieutenant Guthrie then explained that ATAC was a subcommittee of the Western States Auto Theft Investigators (WSATI) Association, allowing ATAC to provide donors with the benefits of a tax-free organization. 

Lieutenant Guthrie spoke about the changes that took place in this year's selection process.  Lieutenant Guthrie said that significant pro-active contributions by officers to reduce auto theft, combined with a higher emphasis on "rolling stolens" and significant case highlights were the elements of the criteria to be considered.  

Lieutenant Guthrie then introduced the Master of Ceremonies Pat Haslam.  Mr. Haslam has been the voice of Orange County ATAC for the past 21 years.  Mr. Haslam gave an opening address and then welcomed everyone to avail themselves of the breakfast buffet. 

After the brunch, Pat Haslam then introduced Mr. Ira Beaty, Law Enforcement Liaison for LoJack Corporation, who conducted the drawing of tickets for a LoJack Security unit.  LoJack donated a LoJack tracking unit to A.T.A.C. to be given as a door prize for attending the event.  Mr. Beaty drew the ticket of Seal Beach Police Department Captain Tom Olson. 

Pat Haslam introduced the Chiefs, Deputy Chiefs, Assistant Sheriff, Captains, Commanders, and dignitaries who were in attendance.  

Pat Haslam then introduced the guest speaker, California Highway Patrol Border Division Chief Jim Abele.  Chief Abele knows vehicle theft well, having been assigned as an auto theft investigator to the Southern Division Investigative Services Unit and as a supervisor for the Cargo Theft Interdiction Program.  

Pat Haslam then announced the Orange County 2010 Recovery Officer of the Year Recipients as Lieutenant  Matt Guthrie, WSATI Southern Chapter President David Petrelli, and AAA Southern California SIU Manager Keith Levin presented the numerous award plaques and recognition certificates to each of the winners. 

Orange County Automobile Dealers Association Executive Director Mr. John Sackrison made a presentation to the top five officers recognized during the awards presentation, a check for $200 in the name of the top five recipients for the Orange County Boys and Girls Club in their respective cities.  

This year's recipients were (by agency):

The Top Five Honorees were: 

Officer Tom Carney of the Buena Park Police Department was honored as the Officer recovering the most stolen vehicles throughout the entire county, 30 vehicles, including 4 "rolling stolens," resulting in 7 arrests.  Officer Carney has been with Buena Park Police Department for the past 10 years.  During his time as a patrol officer, he has been nominated for the Orange County ATAC Recovery Officer of the Year Award 6 times, and selected as the Top Recovery Officer of the Year for 2003, 2004, 2006, and now, 2010.  Statistically 2010 was a relatively slow year for Officer Carney.  In the past he has accumulated up to 80 stolen recoveries.  Officer Carney was presented with a check for the Orange County Boys and Girls Club of Buena Park, by John Sackrison, Executive Director of the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association.  Buena Park Police Department Captain Robin Sells was then called to the podium to receive the Perpetual Winner's Award that goes to the Top Officer's Department to be displayed until next year's Awards Ceremony. 

Officer Kevin Voorhis of the Anaheim Police Department was honored as the Officer recovering the second most stolen vehicles in the county, recovering 16 stolen vehicles, including 5 "rolling stolens," resulting in 6 arrests.  On April 2, 2010, Officer Voorhis received information on his patrol computer reference a vehicle which had been stolen the night before.  Officer Voorhis began looking for the vehicle and eventually located it at a nearby hotel.  Shortly after locating the vehicle, a subject entered the vehicle and began to drive away.  Officer Voorhis pulled behind the vehicle and the driver began to elude officers.  A high speed pursuit ensued, ending in a neighboring city with the suspect colliding into a block wall.  The suspect fled the scene on foot with Officer Voorhis giving chase, following the suspect through residential backyards.  Officer Voorhis eventually caught up with the suspect hiding in a religious temple and took him into custody. Officer Voorhis was presented with a check for the Orange County Boys and Girls Club of Anaheim, by John Sackrison, Executive Director of the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association.  

Officer Jimmy Correal of the Santa Ana Police Department was honored as the Officer recovering the third most stolen vehicles throughout the county, recovering 22 stolen vehicles, including 3 "rolling stolen," resulting in 4 arrests, with an estimated value of $91,300.00.  Officer Correal's commitment to recovering stolen vehicles is best exemplified in one of his in-custody arrests.  On December 12, 2010, Officer Correal responded to a residence to take a stolen vehicle report.  During the investigation, Officer Correal found several leads related to the theft and followed through on every lead until he was able to determine the actual thief and the location of the vehicle.  The vehicle was recovered and returned to the rightful owner within hours of the theft and the prepetrator was arrested.  Auto theft has been a problem in Santa Ana for years, however, with the assistance of officer like Jimmy Correal, auto theft in Santa Ana is down 36% for 2011.  Officer Correal was presented with a check for the Orange County Boys and Girls Club of Westminster, by John Sackrison, Executive Director of the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association.  

Deputies Dallas Hennessey and Troy Feeley of the Orange County Sheriff's Department - South Operations were honored as a Team recovering the fourth most stolen vehicles in the county, recovering 12 stolen vehicles, including 6 "rolling stolens," resulting in 7 arrests.  On one occasion the Deputies were involved in the process of recovering a stolen vehicle when they were alerted by an unrelated LoJack activation.  They finished recovering the unoccupied vehicle and then set out to look for the LoJack vehicle.  A short time later, they received the LoJack signal and located the vehicle stopped at an intersection within Lake Forest.  A felony stop was conducted and the suspect was taken into custody without incident.  Deputy Hennessey and Feeley were presented with a check for the Orange County Boys and Girls Club of Orange County, by John Sackrison, Executive Director of the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association.  

Officer Kenneth Pate of the Westminster Police Department, was honored as the Officer recovering the fifth most stolen vehicles in the county, recovering 21 stolen vehicles, including 3 "rolling stolens," resulting in 4 arrests in 2010.  This is Officer Pate's 3rd nomination for the ATAC Recovery Officer of the Year Awards.  Detective Andy Stowers, accepting on behalf of Officer Pate, was presented with a check for the Orange County Boys and Girls Club of Westminster, by John Sackrison, Executive Director of the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association.  

ATAC also recognized two additional officers for their efforts, presenting them with Honorable Mention plaques. 

CHP - Westminster Area Officer Juan Ulloa was recognized for his diligence.  Officer Ulloa recovered a total of 14 vehicles, including 3 "rolling stolen" vehicles in 2010, and arrested 5 suspects for vehicle theft.  Included in these arrrests was an incident which started with a speed enforcement stop on a red Honda Accord.  The vehicle was traveling at a high speed on the eastbound SR22, east of Brookhurst.  Officer Ulloa observed that the vehicle was missing both license plates.  The driver began to yield for the patrol car's red lights, but then accelerated back into the traffic lanes.  The Honda began traveling in excess of 100 miles per hours.  After a short pursuit, Officer Ulloa with back-ups, conducted a felony stop, taking the suspects into custody.  The vehicle was found to be an unreported Long Beach PD stolen vehicle.  Officer Ulloa's initiative led to the apprehension of a habitual auto thief and street gang member. 

Placentia Police Department Officer Randy McWilliams was recognized for his diligence.  Officer McWilliams recovered a total of 19 vehicles, including 3 "rolling stolen" vehicles in 2010, and arrested 4 suspects for vehicle theft.  Included in these cases was an incident which occurred on June 21, 2010.  Officer McWilliams made a traffic stop on a Nissan Altima.  The driver was nervous and had no identification.  The driver was evasive and confrontational.  The registration provided did not match the stopped vehicle.  As McWilliams returned to his vehicle to utilize his radio and computer, the Altima fled at a high rate of speed.  McWilliams pursued the vehicle through Placentia to the border of Anaheim where the suspect left the vehicle and went into a housing track in Anaheim. With the assistance of Anaheim and Placentia Officers, McWilliams was able to identify the driver as a wanted person from Anaheim who was also a parolee-at-large.  The suspect was located hiding in a friend's nearby apartment.  Since 2004, this is Officer McWilliams' 5th nomination for ATAC Recovery Officer of the Year.  He was previously selected as the Top Recovery Officer of the Year for 2005. 

Lieutenant Guthrie then introduced and thanked the Orange County Auto Theft Advisory Committee members who put together the awards presentation; Mr. Dan Brogdon, Mr. Keith Levin, Ms. Martha Jones, and Ms. Geraldine Ward of the Automobile Club of Southern California; Ms. Diana Rummel, Beach Paving; Mr. Gustavo Cicarelli, and retired Sergeants Steve Reyes and Dennis Frias of the California Highway Patrol; Christina Van Voorhis, Enterprise Rent-A-Car; Mr. Ted Saraf and Mr. Ira Beaty, LoJack Corporation; Special Agent Mark Winter, National Insurance Crime Bureau; Mr. Tony Ko, Toyota Motor Credit.  Lieutenant Guthrie also thanked Past President Gary Labb, 2011 President David Petrelli, and 2011 Treasurer Tim Jackson of the Western States Auto Theft Investigators Association, Southern Chapter, and 2011 President Heather Roberts, Orange County Auto Theft Investigators Association, for their continuing help and sponsorship of this event.  

Lieutenant Guthrie then thanked the sponsors of this year's awards presentation, AAA Southern California, Beach Paving, CHP - Border Division, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Knapp & Spurlock LLP, LoJack Corporation, National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Oficina Coordinadora de Riesgos Asegurados (OCRA), Orange County Automobile Dealers Association, Orange County Auto Theft Investigators Association (OCATI), Toyota Financial Services, and the Western States Auto Theft Investigators Association (WSATI), Southern Chapter.  

Lieutenant Guthrie made a special thank you to retired CHP FEAR Sergeant Dennis Frias.  Lieutenant Guthrie said that Dennis was instrumental in making sure that the 21st Annual Orange County ATAC Awards program took place.  Lieutenant Guthrie was on the verge of canceling the event because CHP personnel did not have the time to go forward with the program.  He said that Dennis stepped forward and said that the program had to go on to honor the Orange County officers and that Dennis took over the helm of the ATAC Awards.