By: Dave Bertini

The Peninsula Council of Lions Clubs held its annual Police and Firefighters awards banquet Friday, March 31. At this annual event, Peninsula law enforcement and fire agencies recognize their men and women for their service to the community, valor and heroism. The Menlo Park police department’s social media team, Officer Mary Ferguson, Dani O’Connor and Nicole Acker, were recipients of the police service award for their spearheading an effort to be one of the most transparent police agencies in the Bay Area. The team used numerous platforms to inform the public about important incidents, upcoming events but also to put a more human face on policing in our community. Due to their effort, we have over 30,000 followers on the various platforms we use. The Social Media Team was instrumental in allowing the Menlo Park Police Department to win the coveted Helen Putnam Award, to be a finalist for the James Q Wilson Award and a winner of the prestigious International IACP Cisco Community Service Award.
 
The Peninsula Council of Lions is the coordinating council for all of the Lions Clubs in San Mateo County and City of Palo Alto. Lions Club International is the largest service organization in the world. With over 1.4 million members in 210 countries, the Lions are committed to serving their local community and caring for the environment.