The Mesa County Sheriff's Office was honored to recognize members of the community, deputies, and agency staff at its annual awards ceremony last week. Each year the Sheriff’s Office takes time to recognize the extraordinary work of the members of this agency and community.
Citizen Awards
A Certificate of Appreciation and Citizen Commendation was awarded to helicopter pilot Mike Campbell and Lumen Technologies (formerly CenturyLink Technologies) for their outstanding assistance to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office for aerial search and rescue and for acts of civic responsibility. They supported 10 rescue missions accounting for a total of 12 flight hours. Their support has included inserting and extracting search and rescue technicians, medical personnel, as well as shuttling rescue equipment. Particularly noteworthy in 2020, Lumen Technologies supported the Mesa County Sheriff Search and Rescue in scouting the Palisade Plunge Mountain Bike Trail to develop operational plans for the remote trail.
The Outstanding Citizenship Award was given to Mesa County Search and Rescue for their selfless actions in the search for a missing child. In October, the search for the missing child spanned 2 days, 17 miles of canal, the surrounding community, and included taking the unprecedented step of draining the irrigation canal. As the water level in the canal lowered, a search and rescue aircraft located the missing girl below the waterline. Regretfully, she did not survive this tragic incident. Ensuring public trust and confidence in the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office is essential regardless of the outcome of any incident. Mesa County Search and Rescue personnel substantially assisted the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office in resolving this missing person incident as well as providing the grieving family and community with an opportunity for closure.
Medal of Merit
Deputy Thomas Stuckenschneider was awarded the Medal of Merit. It is awarded to employees who voluntarily place themselves in a position of significant risk to their own safety in order to save another person or apprehend a violent criminal. After midnight on March 29, 2020, Mesa County Sheriff Office deputies responded to the area of 32 ½ and D Road, regarding a possible suicidal female in the Colorado River. The air temperature at the time was around 35 degrees. Deputy Thomas Stuckenschneider, along with another deputy, discovered the female along the riverbank, approximately 75 yards away on the south side of the river unable to get out of the water.
Fearing for the woman’s life, Deputy Stuckenschneider donned a flotation vest and tethered himself to a rope, and went into the freezing water to save her. Fortunately, while serving in the United States Marine Corps. Deputy Stuckenschneider was trained as a rescue swimmer. He held her on the riverbank until the Clifton Fire Department deployed a boat to retrieve them. Both the deputy and the female were transported to the hospital and treated for hypothermia. Deputy Stuckenschneider’s core body temperature at the time of departure was approximately 78-degrees. Deputy Stuckenschneider voluntarily accepted great personal risk and serious bodily injury to come to the aid of a citizen in crisis.
Life Saving Awards
The Life Saving Award is awarded to members of the department who, while employed, performed significant life-saving measures on an individual; and that these actions led to the prolonging of life to the extent that the victim was released to the care of medical authorities, even though the victim may expire at a later time.
Deputy Tyler Morton and Deputy Devrin Sandell were awarded the Life Saving Award for their lifesaving measures and outstanding service rendered on May 12, 2020. Deputy Tyler Morton and Deputy Devrin Sandell responded to a residence the help 36-year-old Jonathan Frandsen who suffered a major cardiac event. The two deputies ran inside ahead of the fire department to find Mrs. Melinda Frandsen performing CPR on her husband. The deputies immediately took over life saving measures and continued CPR until Grand Junction Fire Department personnel applied an AED to Dr. Frandsen. Thankfully his heart began to beat. Sandell and Morton followed the ambulance, transporting Mrs. Frandsen to the hospital to be with her husband. The deputies continued to check up on the person several days later. On June 1, 2020, Deputy Sandell was able to meet up with a fully recovered Mr. Frandsen. The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Frandsen family for taking the time to attend the award ceremony.
Deputy Taylor Conrad was awarded the Life Saving Award for her swift response and immediate lifesaving actions rendered on January 17, 2020. She responded to a home on Hummingbird Court for an unconscious female suffering from a possible overdose. Deputy Conrad performed CPR and administered Narcan until the patient began coughing and regaining consciousness. The patient was subsequently transported to the hospital without further incident and was discharged a few hours later.
Deputy Ryan Reasoner was awarded the Life Saving Award for his swift response and continued life-saving actions rendered on February 27, 2020. Deputy Ryan Reasoner responded to a home on Dawn Drive for a possible drug overdose. Upon arrival Deputy Reasoner quickly administered Narcan and performed CPR until paramedics arrived.
Deputy Shane Pfister, Deputy Richard Tafoya, and Deputy Don Love were awarded the Life Saving Award for their swift assistance and perseverance in the execution of the rescue on March 13, 2020. The deputies responded to a home on O Road for a man trapped underneath a bulldozer. Deputy Love with the help of Deputies Pfister and Tafoya used the winch on the patrol truck to lift the dozer enough to free the man from underneath the large piece of equipment. He was transported via helicopter to the hospital. Tragically the man later succumbed to his injuries, but the quick thinking and action by Deputies Love, Pfister, and Tafoya undoubtedly had given him a chance at survival. This was a multi-agency effort that came together through the dedicated work of all involved.
Deputy Cody Richards was awarded the Life Saving Award for his swift response and immediate lifesaving actions rendered on October 17, 2020. While working floor security at the Mesa County Detention Facility, Deputy Richards successfully intervened in an inmate’s attempt to commit suicide.
Deputy Dominic DeCarlo was awarded two Life Saving Awards for those immediate life-saving actions rendered on April 11, 2020. On two separate occasions during the same shift, Deputy DeCarlo successfully intervened in an inmate’s attempt to commit suicide.
Unit Citations
The Unit Citation is awarded to groups for outstanding performance.
The Evidence Unit was recognized for their many hours of hard work and dedication to making the MCSO Evidence room one of the best in the nation and meeting national best practices on managing and handling evidence.
Patrol Service Technician (PST) Unit was recognized for their outstanding work performed in support of the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office. PST Unit continued to provide exemplary service to community members through COVID-19 including preventing an elderly community member from becoming a victim of fraud. The PST Unit truly carries a large burden of case report generation and service to the citizens of Mesa County and is proving to be the strong backbone in supporting the continued mission of Intelligence-Led Policing. In addition to answering calls for service, the PST Unit also manages the Found Bicycle, Trespass, and Red Tag programs. All of the PST’s are also trained Crime Scene Technicians and are often asked to assist in search warrants.
Mesa County Detention Facility staff and medical nursing staff were recognized for their swift, decisive actions and cohesive teamwork during an incident on May 2, 2020, involving two inmates. Staff responded swiftly and were able to successfully intervene in the inmates’ active attempt to commit suicide.
Excellence Award
The Excellence Award is awarded to employees who, through their own efforts, have developed and initiated a means of significantly increasing the agency’s administrative or operational efficiency or effectiveness; or who have developed a problem-solving approach to the delivery of law enforcement services with an attention to those factors that contribute to deteriorating conditions in neighborhoods and community decay or to those issues which give rise to crime in the community. This year the recipients are:
Captain Don Hendricks and Sergeant Terry Bridge were awarded the Excellence Award for the development of the new Firearms Range at the Colorado Law Enforcement Training Center (CLETC).
Law Enforcement Specialist Linda Cordray was awarded the Excellence Award for developing training and resource materials for the Records Unit to create consistency and make the overall operation of Records procedures more efficient.
Lieutenant Matt King, Sergeant Terry Bridge, and Deputy Jason Bailey were awarded the Excellence Award for facilitating the upgrade and training of new equipment for patrol designed to enhance officer safety.
PST Catherine Bowers and Deputy Bailey Herrera were awarded the Excellence Award for taking the initiative to expand the Community Care-Taking program by creating the Community Camera Program. The program partners with local businesses to use high-definition security cameras to deter and solve crime.
Deputy Brian Eldridge and Data Analyst Lori Grover were awarded the Excellence Award for developing an innovative new crime reporting system aimed at providing accurate and timely information. This new system allows the Sheriff’s Office to quickly identify crime trends allowing for impactful resource allocation.
Sergeant Marco Montez was awarded the Excellence Award for his leadership supervising the Remote Area Deputy (RAD) program. Through his partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, Sgt. Montez obtained a grant to expand the RAD program providing additional services to the rural residents of the approximately 3,300 square miles of Mesa County. Sgt. Montez also was instrumental in partnering with the “Neighbors App,” providing an additional way for improved communication when notifying the community of safety issues and criminal activity, while also allowing deputies the ability to rapidly access video footage to assist in solving crime.
