January 26, 2015

SCPD Says Goodbye to Officer Tom Young

Thomas Craig Young
May 12, 1964 - January 11, 2015

On Saturday January 24, 2015, members of the Santa Cruz Police Department said goodbye to one of our own.  Officer Tom Young was laid to rest after a memorial service attended by hundreds of guests, which included Officer Young’s family, members of the Santa Cruz Police Department, members of law enforcement agencies and fire departments from across our county, as well as members of our community.  It was a fitting tribute to Tom, who will always be remembered as one of Santa Cruz’s finest.

The morning began with a procession, including marked emergency vehicles, from Santa Cruz Memorial to the Recital Hall at UCSC, which had over 400 guests present.  The memorial service was officiated by the Reverend Richard Rice of the Messiah Lutheran Church in Santa Cruz.  Remembrances and reflections of Tom were delivered by Santa Cruz Police Chief Kevin Vogel, Tom’s brother-in-law Ben Matheny, Santa Cruz Police Officer Trevor Kendall and Capitola Police Chief Rudy Escalante.  The Santa Cruz Police Department Honor Guard posted the colors at the onset of the service and retired them at the conclusion.  There was a flag ceremony in which Tom’s wife Julie received a folded American Flag from Chief Vogel, as well as a heart-wrenching last radio call tribute to Tom that was broadcast at the service by our dispatch center, Santa Cruz Regional 911.  The ceremony concluded with Officer Pat Bayani playing Taps on his trumpet.

The Santa Cruz Police Department would like to thank all who attended the memorial service to honor Tom Young’s life and his service to our community.  We would like to thank the Santa Cruz Fire Department for the static display of the American Flag from their two ladder trucks at the west entrance to the UCSC campus on Saturday morning.  We would like to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol and the UCSC Police Department for keeping Santa Cruz safe by providing police services to our community on Saturday so that every member of the Santa Cruz Police Department could attend the memorial service for Tom.  Our thanks goes out to Santa Cruz Memorial and Randy Krassow for making sure the arrangements for Tom were handled perfectly.  Lastly, our thanks goes out to Alison Lucas and her staff at the UCSC Arts Division Dean's Office for their generous contribution and assistance with the venue where the memorial service for Tom was held, The Recital Hall at UCSC.

As Chief Vogel said when he concluded his remarks at the memorial service, “We know you are safe.  We love you, we will miss you and we will never forget.  May God bless you and may you rest in peace.”