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The Police Meritorious Service Award is the Police Department's highest award
for service and is granted to members of the Department who distinguish
themselves by performing exceptional service in a duty of great responsibility or
of a critical importance to law enforcement.
This award is presented to Detective Darrell Hardin for his years of devoted and exceptional
service to the Seal Beach Police Department. Beginning his career at the Seal Beach Police
Department in. 1979, Darrell Hardin served in both the Patrol Division and Traffic Bureau,
transferring to the Investigative Bureau in 1988.
In his assignment as the Homicide & Crimes Against Persons investigator, Detective Hardin
has earned the respect of his peers as well as the command staff. Some of his recent outstanding
efforts include the following cases:
In 1996, a body of an apparent homicide victim was found in Aster Park.. The body had been
set on fire to hide the identity of the victim. Due to the lofts of Detective Hardin, the
suspects were identified, taken into custody and eventually convicted in State Court of the crime
of Murder.
In 1997, a body of a homicide victim was discovered locked in the trunk of a car, which was
parked in the downtown residential district. Detective Hardin was assigned as the "Lead
Detective" on the case. After an extensive investigation, the suspect was located in Toronto,
Canada. The suspect had illegally entered Canada and was deported back to the United States.
Seal Beach detectives accompanied the suspect on a f light back to the States, and upon the
plane's landing in the United States, the suspect was placed under arrest for murder. The
suspect was tried and convicted in State Court for the crime of Murder.
In 1998, a residential burglary and rape occurred in our City. The suspect wore a.mask.and
left very little physical evidence at the scene, which made solving the crime much more difficult.
Through the aggressive and tenacious lofts of Detective Hardin, the suspect was not only
identified, but it was determined that he was a "serial f
p rapist" who was responsible or at least
seven rapes in Orange County alone.
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Based upon Detective Hardin's outstanding and exemplary lorts on behalf of the Seal Beach
Police Department and law enforcement in general, it is with great appreciation that he is
presented with the Seal Beach Police Department Meritorious Service Award on the 13th Day
of December, 1999.
Michael F. Sellers, Chief of Police
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