PASADENA POLICE CHIEF GETS HONOR FROM ARMENIANS
Pasadena Star-News, CA
Oct 17 2006
PASADENA – The Pasadena Police Department’s efforts to raise funds
for equipment for the Yerevan Police Department has earned the police
chief an Armenian National Service Medal, officials said Monday.
Pasadena Chief Bernard Melekian is the second person outside of
Armenia to receive the medal.
The award was presented to Melekian during a Pasadena Armenian Peoples’
Advisory Committee fundraising gala earlier this month.
Yerevan police Chief Nerses Nazaryan, acting on behalf of the commander
of the Armenian National Police, presented the award.
"The award was truly a surprise and an honor," Melekian said, crediting
the Pasadena Armenian group with building bridges between the Pasadena
Police Department and the Armenian community.
"My grandparents and my father, who were survivors of the genocide,
always felt they owed a great deal to this country and to Pasadena.
It was an honor to be involved with a project that helped give
something of value to Armenia," he said.
PAPAC raised nearly $80,000 for the Yerevan Police Department.
"Yerevan is the capital city of Armenia. I had the pleasure to visit
that city in 2000 and was appalled at the deficiency of equipment
that a modern department needs to do its job," Melekian said.