The foundation raised $167,800 for its general fund, and another $35,000 for Officer Kevin Bereta’s Recovery Fund. Attendees gathered around live displays of robots, fingerprinting equipment, aerial systems, motorcycles, and more while officers gave lively demonstrations. in a nearby private conference room, K9 Officer Kole greeted visitors along with his human partner, Officer Spencer Smith, in tow.

The crowd jumped to their feet when Sergeant Michael Shovlin accepted the Craig Hanaumi Service Award. They also burst into applause when hearing the Police Department has successfully recruited 33 new officer candidates currently in various stages of training. Ken Tan, CEO of Asian Family Market, was met with laughter from the crowd when he said, “If the bad guys want to do something stupid, tell them 'Don’t come to Bellevue'. ”

Many people were honored to personally give their appreciation to Officer Kevin Bereta, who miraculously escaped a fatal accident when protecting Vice President Kamala Harris in the summer of 2023. Though still confined to a wheelchair, Kevin was able to enjoy his fellow officers as well as many other well-wishers who’ve contributed to his financial wellbeing. The Bellevue Police Foundation also recognized Kemper Freeman, Jr. with a special Founders Award for his many years of outstanding support.

Detectives Rob Welty and Chad Cummings along with Officer Dan Perrine made such a strong impact on the audience during their keynote speeches, comments were still coming in days later, including the following: 

“Awesome - Hearing from the Officers is amazing!” – Betsi Hummer

“Those officers are truly the best of the best. How grateful I am to be able to feel safe in my own home.” -- Joan Wallace, Wallace Properties

We thank those of you who could attend and hope to welcome everyone back next year!