2021 Peninsula Council of Lions Club Police Service Awards
On Monday June 14, 2021, the Peninsula Council of Lions Clubs held their annual Police and Firefighters Awards ceremony. The 55th annual (2020) award ceremony was cancelled last year due to COVID 19. The Peninsula Council of Lions Clubs decided to proceed with a virtual ceremony this year, honoring award recipients for both 2020 and 2021.
We are pleased to announce that Inspector Greg Giguiere was recognized with the Peninsula Council of Lions Clubs Police Service Award for 2020. Greg has been widely recognized for his work to protect vulnerable populations in our communities, specifically elderly victims. Greg has established partnerships throughout not only our county, but the entire region to ensure our office is doing everything possible for the aging adult population in San Mateo County. Greg spends a great deal of time providing training to a diverse group of public safety professionals to further that mission.
We are pleased to announce that Inspector Matt Broad was recognized with the Peninsula Council of Lions Clubs Police Service Award for 2021. Matt took the initiative to identify cold cases in San Mateo County where DNA evidence was present, but no CODIS hits had been obtained. One of those cases was a brutal attempted murder, sexual assault case out of San Mateo in 1989. Matt worked with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to further explore the DNA obtained in the case and how genealogical research may assist with a match. Matt ultimately identified John J. Harris Jr. out of Manteca as the suspect in the previously unsolved case. Matt and other investigators arrested Harris on February 24, 2021 and Harris is currently in-custody and awaiting trial.
If you would like to see the ceremony in its entirety, celebrating the heroic and courageous work by your First Responders here in San Mateo County, the ceremony can be viewed here: