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Sen. Cooke, former Breckenridge police officer, delivers keynote at department’s awards banquet

Sate Senator John Cooke, a former Breckenridge police officer, addressed the department's first-ever awards banquet on Wednesday, June 14. Nearly two-dozen officers and staff members received honors at the event.
Jack Queen / jqueen@summitdaily.com |

Officer/Employee of the Year

Sgt. Lyn Herford

Commendation for Officer of Year Nomination

Officer Tiffany Perez ,Sgt. Garrison Green, Officer Derek Bluhm

Service Recognition

Colleen Goettelman (5 years), Officer Galen Petersen (3 years), Detective Caitlin Kontak, Cathy Luc

Life Saving

Officers Justine Millington, Jerrod Bundy, Tom Kotz, Bruce Edwards, Tiffany Perez, Micole Sloan and Sgt. Patrick Finley

Excellence In Leadership

Colleen Goettelman, Officers Tyler Stonum and Shannon Heinz

Excellence in Problem Solving

Officer Jen Laureano, Sgt. Lyn Herford

Physical Fitness

Officer Shannon Heinz, Chief Dennis McLaughlin

Commendation for Service Excellence

Detective Katie Williams

Chief’s Recognition Award

CSO Buffy Crutchley

The Breckenridge Police Department honored nearly two-dozen officers and staff members during the agency’s first awards banquet on Wednesday, June 14.

In attendance were Breckenridge Mayor pro-tem Wendy Wolfe, town manager and former police chief Rick Holman and assistant town manager Shannon Haynes.

Former Weld County Sheriff and current state senator John Cooke, who began his career as a Breckenridge police officer, delivered a keynote address before the awards ceremony.



“Things have changed quite a bit since I was up here, obviously — when I was up here we actually enforced the marijuana laws,” he quipped.

Much has changed since he started in Breckenridge in 1979, Cooke said, from the dingy basement of the county building where the department used to be located to the biggest controversy of the day:



“It wasn’t paid parking,” he said. “It was a traffic light. We didn’t have any when I started and it was a big deal, a lot of people were upset about putting one in.”

Cooke served in Breckenridge until 1982, when he went to work for the Weld County Sheriff’s Office. There, he rose in the ranks to eventually earn three terms as sheriff. He was elected to the senate in 2014 as a Republican and now serves as Majority Whip.

Reflecting on his career, however, he said he was most proud of his time in law enforcement.

“In closing, I wanted to congratulate you on this very special night,” he said. “You have a lot to be proud of. Law enforcement is a very old, honorable and blessed profession.”


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