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Thursday's Internet Edition, March 11, 2010.
Wilton CHP officer leaves rural patrol for desk job
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Photo courtesy to River Valley Times
California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Tom Weber has served the Wilton community and surrounding area for eight years before recently accepting a new assignment with the South Sacramento CHP office.
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By Fran Soto
River Valley Times Staff
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After patrolling Wilton’s rural roadways and the surrounding areas for the past eight years, California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Tom Weber has accepted a new assignment as Accident Review officer with the South Sacramento CHP area office.
Over the years, Weber has been active in the Wilton community by volunteering his time with the Wilton Firefighters’ Association Chili Cook-Off and Rails to Trails TrailFest fundraisers as well as being involved in Neighborhood Watch meetings, festivals and open houses.
Weber's new duties will include serving as Court Liaison officer and assisting with training CHP personnel. “I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the people of South Sacramento County for their years of support for me and the CHP,” he said. “I enjoyed dealing with the citizens, the freedom to roam all over the South County and the diversity of the area. I will miss serving the rural area.”
Officer Weber joined the CHP after working as a firefighter. “What I learned as a firefighter was that I was mostly reacting to incidents and not preventing them,” he said. “With the CHP, I had the opportunity to be proactive and not just reactive.”
Weber volunteered to accept the position patrolling the rural area of Wilton in 2001 after learning it was part of a statewide project to reduce fatal accidents in rural areas. “With 50 percent of all fatal accidents in the South County occurring in the rural area, it seemed an impossible undertaking for any one officer, but I volunteered anyway,” Weber said. “I knew it would be a challenge, but I knew the payoff would be worth it.”
According to Weber, fatal accidents have been reduced by 50 percent, and he credits the public’s help, understanding and effort as well as the other officers he worked with. “Together we formed a partnership and, quite frankly, a bond between the CHP and the citizens of the rural portion of the county,” Weber said. “There are members of our community alive today because of what you, the residents, have done. As a community you should be proud.”
For Officer Weber, community-oriented policing has been the key to letting the public know that the CHP is there to make the highways safer and not to cite the citizenry into submission and generate revenue. “It is important to be able to meet with folks face to face and address their fears and concerns. It is about being available to them,” Weber said. “I can carry on a dialog with them and show them what the CHP is really all about.”
With just a year and a half to go before retirement, Weber said that he is also looking forward to spending more time with family and friends and returning to the River Valley from time to time. “I also look forward to being able to volunteer my time to different charities and groups that need help,” he said. “After all, someone has to judge the Chili Cook-Off.”
As Officer Weber moves on to new challenges, he encourages Wilton residents to build on the progress made toward safer roads. “My parting message of safety to the citizens of Wilton is to not lose what we gained,” Weber said. ”My advice today is the same as when I started, which is to slow down, pay attention, wear your seatbelt and don’t drink and drive. Thank you again for letting me serve you.”
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Online publication, Copyright 2005, The River Valley Times.
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