Former bar bouncer-turned cop Kyle Christensen has seen plenty
of people who have had too much alcohol to drink and, as a member
of the Morgan Hill Police Department, knows how serious it is when
an inebriated person gets behind the wheel.
Morgan Hill – Former bar bouncer-turned cop Kyle Christensen has seen plenty of people who have had too much alcohol to drink and, as a member of the Morgan Hill Police Department, knows how serious it is when an inebriated person gets behind the wheel.
With 30 DUI arrests during 2006, Christensen leads the MHPD and was honored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Sacramento recently.
“I don’t target or focus on getting the DUIs, I prefer to take a proactive approach rather than to wait for people to commit the crimes,” he said. “I probably talk to more people, make more stops, than your average officer.”
Christensen, accompanied by Morgan Hill police Cmdr. Joe Sampson, attended the ceremony in Sacramento and received a plaque and the “23152” pin. The pin stands for the California Vehicle Code for driving under the influence, which is 23152.
“He is a hard worker, a real self-starting officer,” said MHPD Chief Bruce Cumming. “He takes his job very seriously. He also takes the campaign to prevent drunk driving very seriously as well. He’s always on the prowl for drunk drivers. I’m absolutely convinced he saved lives by being aggressive and enthusiastic.”
A proactive approach to police work is especially important in enforcing DUI laws, according to a MADD representative.
“The officers are our first line of defense because they are the people on the scene when the consequences occur, but they also prevent crashes by their keen observation of DUIs,” said Matthias Mendezona, victims services specialist for MADD’s state office in Sacramento. “Because of what they do in the way of prevention, an incalculable number of lives have been saved. They place themselves at great risk when they are protecting you and me from DUI drivers.”
Mendezona said more than 170 officers from state police, sheriff and fire departments were honored at the ceremony, which drew a crowd of more than 600 people. Also on hand to honor the officers were families of victims killed or injured by drunk drivers.
When Christensen goes on patrol, he keeps his eyes open for suspicious behavior.
“The most severe, most frightening DUI I’ve been involved with was when a woman was driving a full-size Chevy truck going 90-100 mph on Monterey Road,” Christensen said.
The woman’s truck was bouncing off of cars, objects on the sides of the road, like a ball in a pinball machine, and plowed up an embankment near the intersection of Monterey Road and Old Monterey Road, finally ending up in a field, Christensen said. Fortunately, no one was injured.
The woman had been mixing pain medication with alcohol, Christensen said.
“She’s very lucky she didn’t injure or kill somebody,” he added. “Medication and alcohol, they’re synergistic.”
Christensen has been with the MHPD since April of 2004. He has a degree in mechanical engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. It was during his time in college that he served as a bar bouncer. He said he decided to attend police academy after getting to know the officers who patrolled the area where he worked as a bouncer.
Valedictorian of his academy class, Christensen routinely leads his patrol team in arrests and citations. He received the Blue and Gold Award from the South Santa Clara County Rotary Club in 2005 for service to the community in the face of danger.
“He’s one of those people you don’t have to worry about, he just goes out there and does his job, and does it very well,” Cumming said.
