By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

RETIRED Marine Robert “Woody” Woodruff and the Department of Public Safety’s Sgt. Thomas Blas Jr. yesterday received awards from the NMI Crime Stoppers for their selfless dedication, commitment and contributions to the program.
Woodruff is the recipient of the 2006 Chairman’s Award while Blas was awarded a plaque of appreciation for serving as coordinator of the Crime Stoppers Program for over five years.
Jim Arenovski, chairman of the NMI Crime Stoppers, said they recognize Woodruff’s and Blas’s efforts in helping the program accomplish its primary goal which is to make the community a safer place to work and live in.
Woodruff manages the program’s hotline while Blas served as the link between Crime Stoppers, the media, the community and the Department of Public Safety.
“Woody has done a lot of work for the Crime Stoppers,” Arenovski said. “For the past four or five years, his commitment to managing the live calls, his coming every Wednesday to volunteer for the job, and forward information to DPS is beyond comparison.”
Blas, he added, “did a great job — he had a great relationship with the media and was a great liaison officer between DPS and Crime Stoppers, the community and the schools. We will surely miss him.”
Blas is now the officer-in-charge of the DPS Juvenile and Sex Offender Registry Unit.
Blas said he appreciated the plaque from Crime Stoppers.
“I will miss working with them — it’s been a pleasure but I feel I can contribute more if I’m at the Criminal Investigation Bureau which gets tips and other information from Crime Stoppers,” Blas said.
Woodruff said he appreciates the award and is happy working with the program.
“I enjoyed working for the community. I’ve been here for so long and I love the island. I will still be around to help make sure that the CNMI people will have a nice place and a safe place to live,” Woodruff said.
The award ceremony was held yesterday morning at the Crime Stoppers office in Susupe.
A turnover ceremony was also conducted with Blas, the outgoing program coordinator, handing his responsibility to his successor, PO1 Anthony Diaz.
Diaz has been with DPS for 10 years and has been assigned to patrol, traffic, boating safety section and summons.
“It’s an honor for me to be appointed as the new coordinator of this program,” he said. “It’s a big program and a good program and I can’t wait to work with other coordinators to get some more ideas. I will do everything I can to help promote the program in the community — that’s my main goal: to let people know how Crime Stoppers works and how effective it is in helping solve crimes.”