“You made my week, thank you,” Farias noted.Public Safety Officer of the Month Sgt. Bob Cooper started his law enforcement career in 1993 by attending the Ventura County Police and Sheriffs Reserve Academy, graduating first in his class, said Acting SPPD Chief Mark Hanson.A SPPD Reserve from 1994-1996 while also owning and managing a business in the Conejo and San Fernando Valleys, Sgt. Cooper rose to the rank of Reserve Sergeant. Sgt. Cooper did so “while he concurrently served as a member of the VCSD Search and Rescue Team 3, with special training in mountain, urban, swift water and underwater rescue,” noted Chief Hanson. He also served as a Senior Tactical Officer for two years at the Ventura County Police and Sheriffs Reserve Academy.After graduating from the Ventura County Criminal Justice Training Center in 1996, Sgt. Cooper became a SPPD Officer. He was the coordinator of the Police Department badge redesign project in 1999, funded by Unocal, whose historic Union Oil Co. headquarters - now the California Oil Museum - building appears on the badge. “Sgt. Cooper also serves as a member of the SPPD Special Response Team, which includes duties as a tactical medic and crisis negotiator,” as well as a field training officer and First Aid/CPR instructor.Prior to his promotion to sergeant, he was part of the grant funded Gang Violence Prevention Unit, where he was teamed with a probation officer and worked with juvenile gang members on probation. “This included enforcing court terms and conditions, as well as substance abuse counseling and assisting with school and other resources,” said Chief Hanson.Currently the Patrol Watch Commander, Sgt. Cooper and his wife Melody have a 22-year-old daughter, Tiffany. Chief Hanson accepted the award on behalf of Sgt. Cooper, who was unable to attend.John Macik/Santa Paula Chevrolet provides the plaques for the monthly GMSP! meetings.