The Arcadia Rotary Club presented its annual recognition of the City’s finest in public service and safety personnel, honoring Arcadia Police Detective Dan Crowther and Arcadia Fire Department Engineer Gary Robinson II at its weekly lunch meeting on Friday, June 11. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – by Anne Donofrio-Holter – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – “It has been an annual tradition of the Arcadia Rotary Club for the past several years to recognize and award the people who serve our community,” said member Eric Barter.
Arcadia Police Det. Dan Crowther (l), Arcadia Fire Dept Engineer Gary Robinson II (c), Arcadia Rotary Club Past President Richard Hutton (r)
The club’s first honoree, Detective Crowther, represents his family’s fourth generation of law enforcement personnel. In 1991, Crowther joined the Arcadia Police Department as a police cadet and soon realized his dream of following in his father’s footsteps when he became a police officer three years later. A graduate of the Rio Hondo Police Academy, Crowther holds an Associate of Arts degree in Administration of Justice along with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Occupational Studies from Cal State Long Beach. While working with the patrol division for ten years, Crowther served as a field training officer and a member of the SWAT team. For the past six years, as a detective, Crowther has been involved with the gang investigation, narcotics, vice, forgery and fraud units. Currently assigned to the “crimes against persons” division, Crowther is also a reserve officer program coordinator and a member of the Arcadia Police Officers Association board of directors. In 2009, he was named the Association’s Officer of the Year as well as the 2009 California Reserve Coordinator of the Year.
Arcadia Police Captain Eugene P. Gioia highlighted some of Crowther’s higher profile cases which include a 2006 shooting at a Chevron station which resulted in the offender sentenced to life in prison, a robbery at a local restaurant in which the owner was shot and killed, a domestic violence case in which the husband is now serving 29 years to life for the shooting death of his wife and a child molestation case in which the offender is facing 55 years to life in prison. Crowther, and his wife Janna, have two daughters, Grace and Elizabeth.
Arcadia Fire Department Battalion Chief Barry Spriggs introduced the next honoree, Engineer Robinson. In 2001, while working as a landscape contractor, Robinson made the decision to become a firefighter. After attending the James Shern Fire Academy in Compton, he went to UCLA where he received his Emergency Medical Technician and CPR training. In 2003, Robinson was hired by the San Bernardino County Fire Department and worked in the cities of Hesperia and Adelanto for the next three years gaining valuable experience in firefighting and emergency medical response while obtaining the credentials necessary to drive fire apparatus. In 2006, Robinson was hired by the Arcadia Fire Department where he rose to the rank of engineer in 2008. In 2009, he took on additional responsibility for the safety of department personnel and the community when he assumed the role of vehicle maintenance and repair coordinator ensuring department vehicles are in a constant state of readiness. Robinson, and his wife Jennifer, have two children, Mackenzie and Kamden. In his spare time he continues to run his landscaping business.
At the conclusion of the program, both Crowther and Robinson received standing ovations from the Arcadia Rotarians. Both gentlemen were humbled by the recognition and thanked the Rotarians for their support. “We are extremely grateful to those that serve in the public safety sector for putting their life on the line every day while doing their job,” said Barter. “We applaud our honorees for their outstanding commitment and service to the City of Arcadia.”