Do you dare sneak out

of an Awards Ceremony?

Ever want to sneak out of an awards ceremony… but you were too polite?
Well, I was checking out the back row exit because I was too embarrassed!

The Goodhue County Sheriff’s Department was giving out their yearly awards. The honorees had been nominated by their fellow officers. As Sheriff Dean Albers read the nominations and gave out the plaques we heard about the dangerous situations these officers had been involved in.
One civilian being honored had saved the life of a person who had fallen in the river.

And that’s why I was so embarrassed. I was getting a citizen’s award for helping establish a partnership between law enforcement and citizens… an organization named TRIAD.

I was embarrassed because it didn’t call for any heroics on my part. It did call for time and creative energy and persistence. But that sounds familiar to any of you who are volunteers.
It was nothing special. I was just “doing what I do.”

As I heard my name called out, I cringed as I walked up to accept the plaque. (I think the camera caught my embarrassment!)

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I turned to the audience sitting in their SWAT gear and uniforms with their guns at hand and apologized. I was so humbled by the things they had done.

I explained that I had been trying to figure how to sneak out of the ceremony. The sheriff interrupted and warned: We would have caught you. "That’s what we do.”

And as I thought about it, I considered that as these officers go into dangerous situations they would probably just say, “It’s what we do.”

Following are some of the awards given to Goodhue County Deputies by Sheriff Dean Albers in 2007. Photos and information courtesy of the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Department.

Letters of Recognition:

On a wintry day last January, Goodhue County Deputy Jay Kindseth investigated the theft of a small electronic vehicle part that had been returned to an Auto Parts store for cash. His investigation of a small theft led to the identification of two suspects. One of them gave him information that helped solve numerous other thefts and burglaries in the counties of Wabasha and Olmsted besides Goodhue and also the city of Rochester. It also resulted in the recovery of much of the stolen property.

A rural burglary/theft involving thousands of dollars of stolen and damaged property was investigated by Goodhue County Deputies, Nate Timm and Jay Kindseth last March. Within three days they had identified both suspects and a confession from one of them. They recovered almost all the stolen property and determined what had happened to the rest.

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Goodhue Sheriff’s Office - Employee of the Year

As an 11 year veteran of the department, Sergeant Collins Voxland includes being a K-9 handler and supervising the program plus being a team leader on the Emergency Response Team. Voxland has been involved in over 13 successful missions this year alone.
He and his K-9 partner, Chopper, took first place in the team competition at the 2006 K-9 nationals. (Chopper isn’t in the picture but his picture is on the cake!) L-R: Calven, Collins, Jen holding Adelyn and Hayden in front.



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