The Mesa County Sheriff's Office is fortunate to have over 260 volunteers that give their time selflessly to help Sheriff's Office and the community.   From offering support within the Detention Facility, providing rescue in the backcountry, or aid in times of crisis, MCSO volunteers help provide vital services to the Mesa County community. These generous volunteers sacrifice time with their own families at all hours to help community members.

These volunteers were recognized and thanked during a volunteer appreciation luncheon last Saturday. Seven people received Volunteer of the Year awards for their contributions to the Sheriff's Office, respective volunteer organizations, and the community.

Dave Miller, a Citizen's On Patrol (COP) volunteer, was recognized as the COP Volunteer of the year for going above and beyond to facilitate numerous tasks and programs for the COPs.  He has implemented new administration programs and overhauled multiple administrative workflows and procedures.  He also serves on the Mesa County Safety Council and the Mesa County Traffic Incident Management Task Force.

Detentions Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Bill Moore, who has volunteered in the Mesa County Detention Facility for nearly 14 years.  He is a dedicated volunteer who visits the Detention Facility several times weekly.  He also coordinates a faith-based rehab, Reformers Unanimous, at his church and has been instrumental in helping facilitate the entire cycle of addiction to recovery. 

Layne Whyman volunteers in the Support Services Division of the Sheriff's Office and has been a vital part of the Records unit since 2015.  Layne provides excellent customer service and is involved in various large, complicated projects, including archiving and scanning documents.   Layne is a constant source of positivity with her customers and co-workers, always looking out for others to support them in any way she can.

Volunteer of the Year for Search and Rescue was awarded to a team of Mesa County Search and Rescue Snowskippers, Rob Martindale and Quentin Shear, who were recognized for their involvement in the rescue of a lost skier and her dog in February of 2022 when the pair failed to return from a day trip.  The approaching weather and negative double-digit temperatures made it nearly impossible to track the missing woman and by 3:00 am,  crews were exhausted and cold.  But Martindale and Shear decided to make one more attempt before discontinuing the search.  The two pushed on, stopping briefly when they thought they heard a voice.  They turned off their snowmobiles just as the missing skier and the dog emerged from the tree line.  The woman and her dog were safe at last.

Another team of volunteers, husband and wife Mark and Arlene Connolly, were presented with Volunteer of the Year plaques for their work with the Victim's Advocate Program (VAP).  The couple has embraced the VAP program with a genuine desire to engage in their community, give of themselves, and guide victims during a crisis.  They do this with both compassion and competency.  They mentor newer teammates and offer an ear, or two, whenever their fellow VAPs need to debrief after a difficult call.

The Mesa County Sheriff's Office recognizes how incredibly fortunate we are to have such dedicated and compassionate volunteers.  The hundreds of hours donated in service to the community truly make a difference.  The Mesa County Sheriff's Office could not possibly provide the same high level of service to this community without the fantastic work of our volunteers.