BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: SCR 74
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: galgiani
VERSION: 1/6/14
Analysis by: Erin Riches FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: April 1, 2014
SUBJECT:
Officer Kevin Tonn Memorial Highway
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution names the portion of Highway 99 in the City of
Galt as the Officer Kevin Tonn Memorial Highway.
ANALYSIS:
The committee has adopted a policy regarding the naming of state
highways or structures. Under the policy, the committee will
consider only those resolutions that meet all of the following
criteria:
The person being honored must have provided extraordinary
public service or some exemplary contribution to the public
good and have a connection to the community where the highway
or structure is located.
The person being honored must be deceased.
The naming must be done without cost to the state. Costs for
signs and plaques must be paid by local or private sources.
The author or co-author of the resolution must represent the
district in which the facility is located, and the resolution
must identify the specific highway segment or structure being
named.
The segment of highway being named must not exceed five miles
in length.
The proposed designation must reflect a community consensus
and be without local opposition.
The proposed designation may not supersede an existing
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designation unless the sponsor can document that a good faith
effort has uncovered no opposition to rescinding the prior
designation.
This resolution designates the portion of State Highway Route 99
in the City of Galt as the Officer Kevin Tonn Memorial Highway.
The resolution further requests that the Department of
Transportation erect appropriate signs upon receiving donations
from non-state sources to cover the costs.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose . The author introduced this resolution to honor the
life and service of Officer Kevin Tonn of the Galt Police
Department.
2.Background on Officer Tonn . Officer Kevin Tonn came from a
law enforcement family; his father attended the Sheriff's
Academy and his uncle was a Special Agent with the state
Department of Justice. In 1991, when he entered high school,
Officer Tonn joined the Roseville Police Explorers. Officer
Tonn enlisted in the US Army at 19 years old and became a
military policeman. Following his military service, he became
a firefighter in the state of New York for eight years, rising
to the rank of assistant chief.
After returning to California, Officer Tonn worked as a fire
prevention officer for the City of Sacramento. Later, he
owned and operated a letter and parcel shipping business. In
2009, after attending the Sacramento County Sheriff's Academy,
he became a police officer in the City of Galt, where he
worked alongside his cousin. Officer Tonn was eventually
promoted to the K-9 unit of the department, serving with his
dog, Yaro.
On January 15, 2013, a suspect shot Officer Tonn while he was
responding to an in-progress residential burglary. The
suspect died of self-inflicted wounds, and Officer Tonn later
succumbed to his injuries at Kaiser Permanente South
Sacramento Medical Center. He was 35 years old.
In May 2013, the Galt Police Department posthumously awarded
Officer Tonn the Medal of Valor, which is awarded when
employees sustain a serious wound or great bodily injury by a
hostile person. The hospital dedicated in Officer Tonn's name
the trauma resuscitation bay in which he died. In addition,
Galt High School students designed a memorial for Officer
SCR 74 (GALGIANI) Page 3
Tonn, located near City Hall.
3.Consistent with committee policy . This resolution is
consistent with the provisions of the committee's policy on
highway designations.
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on
Wednesday, March 26,
2014.)
SUPPORT: None received.
OPPOSED: None received.