A Brief History of Pete Constant
Pete Constant was born on October 22, 1963 in Dearborn, Michigan and raised in Westland, Michigan, where his Greek immigrant father and second-generation Greek mother had settled with their four children.
Pete’s family moved to San José in September 1977 and settled into a small house in District 1. Pete later attended Blackford High School, where he began his career in photography with the Blackford High newspaper. In the following years, Pete became a darkroom assistant for Germain Photography. In 1985, Pete became the youngest Certified Professional Photographer in the county and later opened a photography studio and digital imaging lab on Winchester Boulevard.
One year later, Pete became a reserve police officer and joined the San José Police Department as a full-time officer in 1989. His many assignments included uniformed patrol, community policing foot beat officer, traffic investigations unit (detective), street crimes unit, vice unit (under-cover detective), and robbery unit (detective). Most of Pete’s assignments were in the SJPD Nora district, which is within District 1. During his time with the police force, Pete received numerous letters of commendation, including the Day-to-Day Excellence Award, Project Crackdown Officer of the Year, City Manager’s Award of Excellence, and Employee Suggestion Award (that saved the department approximately $65,000 per year). He was also a director for the San José Police Officers' Association.
Pete met his wife, Julie, in May of 1992 and married her two years later at Mission Santa Clara. The couple lived in a condo on Winchester Boulevard and later moved to a larger home in District 1, off San Tomas Expressway and Williams Road, to accommodate their growing family that now includes two sets of twins — Alexandra and Amanda, Pete Jr. and Samantha, and their youngest and newest addition to the family, Sydney.
Pete was severely injured in the line of duty during an undercover drug enforcement arrest in 1997. When the multiple injuries prevented him from returning to the streets as a police officer, he received a disability retirement. In recognition of these grievous injuries sustained in the performance of his duties as a law enforcement officer, Pete was awarded the Legion of Honor Award by the American Police Hall of Fame.
After his retirement from the Police Department, Pete searched for new ways to serve the public and found an outlet in community service. In District 1, he helped found the Lynhaven Neighborhood Association and was later elected as the association president. Citywide, Pete was appointed by the City Council to the Valley Transit Authority’s Citizen Advisory Committee and to the City of San José Appeals Hearing Board, where he served as the chair. Pete has also been active in several non-profit organizations, serving on the board of directors for Young Audiences of Northern California (arts education for underprivileged children), Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers, Rotary Club of San José North, and The Salvation Army of Santa Clara County.
Pete Constant's Board, Commission and Committee Assignments
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