Another busy month for the police department as the inclement weather continued throughout the month. Officers completed their emergency vehicle operations course this month that was held at the Portland International Raceway. The training not only teaches officers safe driving techniques during stressful situations, they also are put through numerous scenarios including but not limited to; pursuit driving, high risk vehicle stops, communication skills, use of force options and decision making during high stress situations. It allows our personnel to interact with surrounding agencies as well.

Also this month, I am proud to announce our officer of the year. This years award goes to Officer Armando Olmos for his fantastic work as our School Resource Officer. Officer Olmos is assigned to the Sandy High School but serves as a resource officer for the entire Oregon Trail School District. Officer Olmos has had an impact on countless students during his time at the school. His ability to do his job as a law enforcement officer and at the same time, act as a mentor to students is outstanding. Officer Olmos is in his last year at the school and will be missed by students and staff. He will then rotate back to patrol where I have no doubt he will continue to grow and excel in his chosen field. Congratulations Officer Olmos.

We had a rash of thefts from vehicles this month. The suspect was arrested in Jackson County and with the cooperation between the two agencies, we were able to link that suspect to some of our thefts we had here. The Sandy Detective is currently working with Jackson County on the case. A great example of inter agency cooperation.

And last but certainly not least, Sgt. Shawn Burns has now served the city of Sandy for 25 years. He was hired on 02/01/92. This does not even account for his volunteer efforts before he became a full time officer. My many many thanks to him for his commitment to our profession and our city.