The Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office honored a number of its employees for notable service at a ceremony Friday night in Cortez.
Saying there were more honorees this year than ever before, Sheriff Steve Nowlin said that was because of the qualify of the people in his office, and that their service “has been above and beyond.”
Nowlin read the oath that employees of the sheriff’s office take and said the motto of the department is “Guardian heart, warrior spirit.”
He said his people will be tempted to step away from the sheriff’s office in search of jobs less stressful and possibly more financially rewarding.
“On those days I encourage them to reread the oath,” Nowlin said. “If they decide there is no way they can leave, they are acknowledging that this is a calling and a calling to serve.”
Exemplary Service Awards went to three former employees who worked in the kitchen at the county detention center, Jeremy Strong, Jennifer Chadwick, and Darla French.
Deputy Kaylee Green received a Distinguished Service Award for helping rescue an injured hunter.
Nowlin said she responded to a call about an injured hunter in the national forest on Oct. 15, 2025. After a three-mile hike, she was the first to arrive on the scene where the hunter had been hit by a falling tree. She readied him for transport, and when the responding helicopter could not land there, she shut down traffic on Highway 145 so the helicopter could land there and arranged his transport to that site.
Green also was named Traffic Enforcement Deputy of the Year. Nowlin said there has been an increasing number of incidents of aggressive and inattentive driving behavior, and Green issued 95 individual traffic citations while patrolling for dangerous drivers.
Life Saving Awards went to deputies Cayden Worcester, Justin Lewis, Colby Martin, and Tristen Harris as well as Sgt. Sara Gardner for taking action to save a detention-center inmate. On March 29, 2025, they acted swiftly to help the inmate, who suffered repeated seizures, fell and hit his head, but ultimately survived because of their swift actions.
Lewis also earned a Distinguished Service Award for repeatedly coming in to work extra shifts when the jail was short-handed.
“We have had many challenges with the reductions of personnel in the detention center,” Nowlin said.
Deputies Kyler Rogers and Peter Schmalz received Distinguished Service Awards for their handling of a situation involving an intoxicated man and his family.
In December, they were called to a home where a family was fleeing from a drunken father who was assaulting and harassing them, Nowlin said. With professionalism and empathy, they prioritized the family’s safety.
The father had purchased electric cars for the children for Christmas, but they were unassembled, Nowlin said. Rogers and Schmalz worked hard to assemble the cars so they could be given to the kids.
“Those cars filled our hallways before Christmas,” Nowlin said. “They were working diligently.”
Rogers also was named Top DUI Arrest Deputy. Nowlin said drivers under the influence of alcohol or other drugs are an ongoing problem, and Rogers actively patrols for them. “He removed 17 intoxicated or impaired drivers,” Nowlin said.
Administrative assistant Samantha Shaffer was recognized for her work in the Administrative Division. Nowlin praised her positive attitude, her work reorganizing programs, and her willingness to take extra tasks in stride.
Exemplary Service Awards went to Detective Lt. John Hargraves, evidence Detective Garet Talley, and detectives Allen Phelps (who is now a patrol deputy) and Tomas Parker for a lengthy investigation into the death of a 5-year-old child in 2022.
The investigation, which involved several other law agencies, resulted in a first-degree murder charge against a Cortez woman in 2025. That case has not yet come to trial.
Nowlin said the detectives worked to provide “justice for the unspoken voice of an innocent 5-year-old girl.”
Nowlin also recognized a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration special agent for her work with the local drug task force, saying she was part of two of the largest narcotics investigations in Southwest Colorado.
Note: The accompanying photo was taken by Tayler Hill.
