Oceanside Resident and SDPD Detective, Sarah Johnson among honorees
San Diego CA— The San Diego Police Foundation will gather San Diego business and community leaders to celebrate and honor female law enforcement leaders at the 10th annual Women in Blue luncheon on March 19, 2020 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel, 1 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA from 11:30am to 1:30pm.
This year’s 2020 honorees are: San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Lieutenant, Misty Cedrun; SDPD Sergeant, Esmeralda Tagaban; and SDPD Detective, Sarah Johnson. Considered trailblazers in nontraditional careers, the honorees will share insights and anecdotes from their paths to success with an anticipated crowd of over 300 at the tenth annual Women in Blue event.
Since 2011, the San Diego Police Foundation has presented the Women in Blue awards, an initiative that calls attention to the remarkable women who have pursued careers in law enforcement. Attendees will hear the stories of women whose outstanding achievements in non-traditional careers have paved the way for today’s women leaders in San Diego.
“Women in Blue puts leadership, wisdom and inspiration in the spotlight,” says Sara Napoli, President and CEO of the San Diego Police Foundation. “These women are inspiring and incredible role models for young people aspiring to leadership in law enforcement. It is an honor for the San Diego Police Foundation to be able to recognize their tremendous service and accomplishments.”
Individual tickets for the luncheon are $125 and tables are $1,250.00. For sponsorship information please contact Nickie at (619) 232-2130 X111 or email nickie@sdpolicefoundation.org. For more information on the event or the Police Foundation, please call (619) 232-2130 or visit, www.sdpolicefoundation.org/events/women-in-blue/.
The 2020 Women in Blue Honorees Include:
Sarah Johnson
Detective Sarah Johnson has been employed with the San Diego Police Department for over 20 years and is currently assigned to the Background Investigation Unit. She says her experiences in narcotics, domestic violence, area command investigation, and participation on the homicide relief team and patrol have taught her to remain positive and motivated.
In her travels, she recruits for her department, providing information about the hiring process and the opportunities that the department offers. As a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), her passion is to stay involved in her community. She is very active in her church and is currently studying for a degree in Christian ministry. Her faith teaches her that we are all one big family trying to achieve this one goal of making San Diego the best city to live and work.
Esmeralda Tagaban
In 1999, Sergeant Esmeralda Tagaban worked as a Detentions Deputy for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Two years later she was hired by the San Diego Police Department and began her career as a Patrol Officer assigned to the Northeastern and Central Division.
In 2006, she was assigned as an Acting Detective on the Central Narcotics Street Team and then transferred to the Gang Suppression Team, working as an Acting Detective in Gang Investigations where she worked on a case that led to solving three homicides. In 2009, she was promoted to Detective and was assigned to the VICE Unit and subsequently assigned to the Sex Crimes Unit in 2011 where she worked on several high-profile cases. As collateral duties, she was assigned to the Emergency Negotiations Team.
Tagaban was assigned as an Acting Patrol Sergeant to Western Division in 2012 and later promoted as a Sergeant and assigned to Northern Division. In 2016, she was reassigned as a Detective Sergeant to the Sex Crimes Unit where she was awarded the County-wide Law Enforcement Officer by the Sexual Assault Response Team. During her time, she developed a system for categorizing all of the sexual assault kits for SDPD. In 2018, she was appointed to the San Diego Regional Public Safety Training Institute as an Academy Coordinator where she helps manage the day to day operations of the Regional Academy for recruits of all law enforcement agencies throughout San Diego County.
Misty Cedrun
Lieutenant Misty Cedrun began her career in 1994 as a patrol officer working in the Mid-City area and has been with the San Diego Police Department for twenty-five years. She was promoted to the rank of detective and worked general investigations, specializing in child abuse investigations. She was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2006 and was a patrol sergeant at Eastern Division and Western Division. Later, she was promoted to the rank of detective sergeant and transferred to the Internal Affairs Unit. In 2013, she was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and assigned to patrol operations in Northern Division.
On year later she was transferred to an investigative assignment in the Domestic Violence Unit with collateral duties as the Director of the San Diego Family Justice Center. In December of 2017, Lieutenant Cedrun was transferred to the Training Division. Her primary role is in the Leadership & Development Unit with collateral duties as the on-site manager for SDPD’s Tactical Training Center. Lieutenant Cedrun provides coaching/mentoring/promotional preparation/career mapping and executive development to all Department members.