Palm Springs Police Lieutenant Gustavo Araiza honored

Palm Springs Police Lt. Gustavo Araiza will receive a Special Achievement Award at the Memorial Day Awards Luncheon

PALM SPRINGS – Two local veterans organizations will present Palm Springs police Lt. Gustavo Araiza with a Special Achievement Award on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27.

American Veterans (AMVETS) Post 66 and Jon Castro Chapter 19 of Veterans for Peace (VFP) are sponsoring their 18th Annual Memorial Day Awards Luncheon at the Cimarron Golf Resort, 67603 30th Ave in Cathedral City. The cost is $28 per person. The program begins at noon.

Lt. Araiza is being honored for his outstanding service to the community by promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the City of Palm Springs. Council Member Christy Holstege nominated Lt. Araiza for this award.

“As the Police Department’s liaison and leader of the LGBTQ+ Outreach Committee, Lt. Araiza has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing the City’s goals by supporting LGBTQ+ individuals at various intersections of identity,” said Police Chief Andy Mills. “He has been instrumental in organizing successful public events such as ‘Cocktails with the Chief’ and has supported initiatives such as the PSPD PRIDE car wrap, further solidifying the Department’s engagement with the LGBTQ+ community.”

Chief Mills also noted that Lt. Araiza helped develop and implement an awareness campaign aimed at reducing sexual violence during casual encounters in the city and implemented departmental policies to reduce the risk of excessive use of force, such as prohibiting no-knock search warrants.

In addition to his duties with the Palm Springs Police Department, Lt. Araiza volunteers with two organizations, Team Rubicon and Recovery First, that serve at-risk communities around the world and support public safety professionals.

In addition, Palm Springs City Councilwoman Lisa Middleton will present a special tribute to Nicole Schapiro of Palm Desert, who was two years old when the Nazis captured her mother and put her into hiding in a Hungarian monastery. The children of three other Holocaust survivors will attend the luncheon to remember their parents.