The Long Beach City Prosecutor’s Office announced Tuesday the winners of the sixth annual IMPACT Awards, which honors groups and individuals who have positively impacted the community within the past year.
Officials also announced that one IMPACT Award will be named after Long Beach Police Detective Kim Maddox, who died in September from cancer.
Maddox, a Long Beach State women’s basketball hall of famer and LGBT advocate, spent more than 25 years as a police officer and detective for the LBPD.
“We have never named an award in honor of an individual, but my office wanted to do this to keep Kim’s memory alive,” said City Prosecutor Doug Haubert in a statement
The Kim Maddox IMPACT Award will be given to LBPD Detective Rudy Romero of the domestic violence detail. According to officials, due to an investigation by Romero, the City Prosecutor’s Office was able to prosecute and convict a man of harassing and terrorizing a woman he met online.
Other recipients of IMPACT Awards include:
- Long Beach Mentoring Connection, comprised of Power 4 Youth, Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters, LB Blast and Operation Jumpstart, for partnering with the City Prosecutor’s Office to mentor at-risk youth.
- Mary White of GEMS Uncovered, for partnering with the City Prosecutor’s Office to counsel human trafficking victims.
- LBPD Detective Ben Vargas of the robbery detail for his investigation of a serial thief, who was convicted and sentenced to eight years in the county jail.
- Dr. Dennis Clark and Lisa Waide of Laser M.D., for providing free/low-cost tattoo removals for former gang members and human trafficking victims.
- Pacific Gateway, for partnering with the City Prosecutor’s Office on the PATH program, a nationally recognized program which helps non violent, youth offenders with job training and employment searching.
- Long Beach Human Trafficking Task Force and State Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell, for fighting for legislation to combat sex trafficking in California.
“The IMPACT awards are our way to acknowledge those doing great work,” said Haubert in a statement.” We are trying to create community-based solutions to public safety problems, and our community partners deserve all the recognition we can give them. There are also those in law enforcement who shine like stars, and we want to acknowledge their efforts to make Long Beach safer.”
Recipients will receive their IMPACT Awards at a reception February 2.