The 16th annual Houston Police-Civilian Gala was held on Friday, May 31st at Lambo Banquet Hall, with at least 65 tables set up. The event was attended by high-ranking officials and officers from various law enforcement agencies such as the Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Harris County Constable’s Office, Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office, along with representatives from the Houston Police Union, Harris County judges, the Mayor’s Asian Advisory Committee, Southwest Management District Committee, as well as members of the business community and various civic organizations. The event kicked off with a lively performance by the Houston Police Lion Dance Team, energizing the atmosphere with drumming and acrobatic displays.
Chairman of the Southwest Management District Committee, Li Xiong (one of the co-chairs of the gala), mentioned that he and Leon Chan started organizing the first Police-Civilian Gala 18 years ago. One of the main purposes of the gala is to honor Asian-American police officers and strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the community. He highlighted that the turnout for this year’s event was the largest in history and pointed out the milestone of the first Asian-American Assistant Chief Ban Tien in the Houston Police Department and the first Asian-American Battalion Chief Simon Chan in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant Chief Ban Tien of the Houston Police Department, serving as the honorary chairman of the gala, emphasized in his speech that May is a significant month not only for the gala honoring Asian-American officers but also for Memorial Day, Mother’s Day celebrations, Police Week activities, and the celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. He invited veterans, mothers, officers, and Asian-Americans in attendance to stand up for recognition and applause. Tien expressed gratitude for the continuous support of the community towards the police, acknowledging that police officers are human too and appreciating the ongoing care and backing from the public.
Guest speaker and Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez extended thanks for hosting the event and highlighted the spirit of mutual aid and cooperation between the police and the community.
Acting Chief of the Houston Police Department, Larry Satterwhite, took the stage and shared his appreciation for the unwavering support of the entire city, particularly the Asian-American community, throughout his 34-year career in law enforcement. He stressed the crucial role of the partnership between the community and law enforcement, especially in times of limited police resources, as a reliable source of strength. Satterwhite expressed deep gratitude for the collaborative relationship and welcomed more individuals to consider a career in law enforcement.
During the gala, the “Officer of the Year” awards were presented to four Asian-American officers. They were Steven Dau and Edward Kwan from the Houston Police Department, Travis Wade Young and Duy Trinh from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, this year marked the first time the Asian American Police Association awarded scholarships to students, with two students each receiving $2,000 and $3,000 university scholarships.