Beyond The Badge

Deputy Cody Ingle was recruited to Davis County from the Denver area, and Davis County Sheriff Todd Richardson called him a "gem find".  He also serves in the county as a paramedic. Deputy Ingle was dispatched to help a mother who's baby was unexpectedly born in the bathtub at 26 weeks- very premature. The baby fit in the palm of the deputy's hand and was having trouble breathing.  The baby was gasping for air and Deputy Ingle made the decision to intubate the child and use chest compression to aid the heart beat.  Deputy Cody Ingle saved that child's life.  See our website for privacy information.

Officer Trevor Swenson responded to a suspicious person report at a Clearfield, Utah convenience store. When Swenson arrived, he discovered a man searching for food in a dumpster. A compassionate officer, Swenson bought the man some pizza, chips, and a hot drink. He sets a great example of service to the community of Clearfield and compassion for neighbors of every background.      See our website for privacy information.

Before becoming an Iron County Sheriff's Deputy, Devin Lauritzen was a well known and accomplished paramedic.  Sheriff Mark Gower says this gives him a lot of confidence in his deputy.  Often deputies have to deal with medical challenges until paramedics can get on the scene.  Deputy Lauritzen is able to do a lot of good in those first few minutes responding to medical emergencies. Deputy Lauritzen's abilities really make a difference in Iron County, a large rural county where deputies are usually on the scene well before medical personnel.  Sheriff Gower also says that the paramedics often look to Deputy Lauritzen for instruction as he is usually the highest ranking medical professional on the scene. On his days off, Deputy Lauritzen also works for Life Flight. Deputy Devin Lauritzen is also a member of the S.W.A.T, Search and Rescue, and Ropes Rescue teams.   See our website for privacy information.

Detective Mike Bleak is a 20 year veteran of the Cedar City Police Department. He is known in his department as a tireless and determined investigator whos work has delivered convictions in a wide array of cases including homicide, child sex abuse, and drug overdose deaths. He also serves as a Deputy Medical Examiner for the State of Utah and is a peer- support officer, giving physical and mental support and counsel. Detective Bleak took a leadership role in the community when he saw the growth of the potentially deady "choking game". This game is played by youths and has taken lives across the country. He became an expert on the subject and how to fight it. His expertise has been sought across the country and as far away as Paris, France where he traveled to teach all he knows about preventing such reckless behavior among kids. Thanks to the detective's work, Iron County School District now has new and effective policies to address the dangerous game. Detecive Bleak is the co- creator of the Cedar City Polic

Officer Krebs grew up in Mapleton and now serves his community as a full time police officer. Officer Krebs is passionate about his work, but communicates with people in a calm and compassionate manner. There is no doubt in my mind that he truly cares about the people that he serves. Officer Krebs comes to work with a smile on his face every day. He is pleasant to be around and always looks for the good in a situation. Officer Krebs does not complain, but rather looks for ways for he and his department to improve every day. Recently Mapleton experienced an increase in theft and drug violations. Officer Krebs jumped in and began investigating all avenues to curb the activity. Without being asked he went through drug house garbage cans in hopes of gathering evidence for a search warrant. He conducted surveillance on numerous homes where drug activity was taking place and made legal stops of vehicles leaving in hopes of stopping the activity. Officer Krebs is passionate about keeping the public safe from impaire

Jerry Silva started working for the South Salt Lake Police Department in 1997. He grew up in this area and wanted to help his community. He's the reason why our Police Athletic League is now a national model. The South Salt Lake PAL was started by Officer Robbin Wilkins in 1998. Jerry participated with PAL very early on, but PAL took a hiatus between 2002 - 2006 due to lack of support from the city administration. During that time, Jerry continued to engage with the kids in the community whenever possible, to keep the notion of PAL floating. In 2006, PAL officially started up again because of Jerry's passion. Then in 2010, the PAL Pete Suazo Boxing Program began with the opening of the Central Park Community Center. The center has had high profile guests including Evander Holyfield and tournaments featuring youth fighters from all over the west. Jerry Silva is the real deal!See our website for privacy information.

On 9-22-16 a tornado touched down in Washington Terrace, Utah. Deputy Nelson was not on duty this day but heard about the tornado and decided that he would go help. As Deputy Nelson was driving to the area hardest hit be the tornado another call came in from dispatch. A 7 year old child had been riding is bike and was struck by a car. Deputy Nelson immediately responded to help the boy. The injuries to the child were minor but unfortunately the bike was totally destroy and the 7 year old was devastated. Without any prompting Deputy Nelson bought the boy a new bike and helmet using his own money. Deputy Nelson than delivered the bike the to boy at school. When he delivered the bike Deputy Nelson also presented a bike safety presentation to the second graders at Roosevelt Elementary School. Deputy Nelson went above and beyond in his handling of not only the accident but they care and concern he should this boy.See our website for privacy information.

Lt. Craig Martinez is one of the department's administrative lieutenants who also acts as Public Information Officer and handles all of the department social media. Craig has become somewhat of a sensation with his social media posts and activities. Currently, over 24,000 people follow the page. Many of those people live in Utah County, but he also has gained followers from all over the world. Craig is constantly looking for innovative ways to use social media as well. His 'Tattle Tale Tuesday' posts feature surveillance photos of crimes. Due to his jovial and entertaining nature, followers wait for his posts. About 80% of the time, the suspects are identified by followers, sometimes within minutes of being posted. Craig has also conducted other activities on social media such as an Easter egg hunt via snapchat where tons of kids became involved in trying to find hidden eggs around the city with their parents. Last summer he came up with the idea to host weekly Kids Camps at the police department for kids in

This officer has reached out to community partners in hopes of finding a partner to help serve a much needed special underserved population in our communities. That is helping with the Alzhiemer's, Dementia and some mentally handicapped community members during individual crisis situations. Project Lifesaver is the name of the national program that has made the hardware to locate and return wondering or lost members of the above mentioned groups of our community. In these special needs groups, time is critical in finding and relocating these individuals with their loved ones. Officer Radley began meeting with these three groups and realized very soon that we have a fairly large number of individuals in our communities. He developed a partnership with IHC and were able to receive a large donation that will not only benefit our city, but our entire county. We were given enough money to purchase equipment and bands for each jurisdiction in our county. We will now be able to serve this part of our community in a

Sergeant Josh Whatcott has been a police officer for over 16 years. He currently works as a patrol sergeant. He was recently recognized for his part in lifesaving CPR on a retired California police officer along the Jordan River Parkway. Josh spent a lot of time with the retired officer and his family in the days after the event including attending to their needs and visiting them in the hospital. Sergeant Whatcott was also recognized recently by a young lady and her family who he helped when they found a family member deceased. Josh took the time to counsel with them during their grieving period. KSL ran a story on that occasion due to a fallen officer memorial display the young lady made to thank Sergeant Whatcott and Officer Iversen. Sergeant Whatcott took his shift and delivered gifts and stuffed animals to children at Riverton Hospital Children's ICU unit last Christmas Eve. In the past, Sergeant Whatcott has taken the time to have lunch with elementary school children in our community. Sergeant Whatcott

Officer Jeremy Brown is an exceptional person and a dedicated officer who makes a profound difference in our community. Officer Brown is currently serving as a D.A.R.E officer to four elementary schools and the resource officer for Centerville Junior High. He works under the direction of the Detective Division, as such has been trained for crime scene investigation and he assists with cases as he is available. Jeremy has also been given many additional assignments due to his wide range of talent and abilities. Because of his computer knowledge he has been tapped to assist with I.T. issues. He is the liaison between the Police Department and the July 4th Celebration Committee, as such he planned for all police resource deployments during the last two years. Jeremy has also taken on many different odd jobs like keeping up on our facebook page posts, gathering traffic related data, placement of the RADAR trailer around the city and other duties. I constantly hear praise from members of the public and from my own

Lacy Turner is assigned to the department’s Problem-Oriented Policing Unit, where she is tasked with trying to resolve quality of life issues within our community. She works extensively with the community’s youth, low income housing stakeholders, and ongoing community issues. In addition to this, she works extra hours as a school resource officer at Centennial Junior High School. Officer Turner is also a DARE Instructor and a field training officer. This past year, she proposed and implemented two new programs within our department; a peer support program and an officer mentor program for officers. These programs have had a tremendous effect on the well-being, success, and morale of our officers. Despite her heavy load of extra duties and assignments, Officer Turner consistently performs at a high level regardless of what activity is being measured, self-initiated activity, traffic stops, citizen contacts, or calls for service. In her few short years with the department she has become a popular figure with ou

The following nomination letter was written by Rosie Rivera, Chief of the Riverton PD: On April 13, 2016, Detective Shane Laycock responded to an ambulance assist detail involving a 13 month old child. The child had fallen head-first into a cooler and was submerged in 6 inches of water for several minutes. Family members pulled the child from the cooler, the grandmother started CPR. When Officer Laycock arrived the child was lying on his back with family members kneeling next to him. The child had irregular and labored breathing, Detective Laycock performed chest compressions in hopes to speed up his heart rate. The child began to vomit water and his breathing improved, medical arrived shortly after and took over life saving efforts. Detective Laycock then assisted in directing Life Flight to the area, then he drove the grandfather to Primary Children's Hospital to be with the child. The child was able to make a full recovery and the family has been very grateful and appreciative for Detective Laycock's effor

The following nomination letter was written by Nate Cline, Lieutenant with the Ogden City Police Department: My name is Nate Cline, I am a Lieutenant with the Ogden City Police Department. I would like to nominate Ogden City Police Officer Zachary Nold for the KSL Beyond the Badge. This letter of recommendation highlights some of the reasons Officer Nold is worthy of such distinction and also recognizes how he is making life better for fellow officers, military veterans, their families and our citizens within our community. In 2011 Ogden City Police Officer Zachary Nold joined the United States Army Reserves. During the years after his enlistment, his parents Joan and Roger Nold gained an interest in the much deserved issue, concerning the US Military Veterans suicide epidemic. Having been inspired by the “Lone Survivor” story involving Marcus Luttrell, founder of the Lone Survivor Foundation, Joan and Rodger helped raise funds for the Lone Survivor Foundation where a Labrador dog was raffled to raise funds a

The following nomination letter was written by Steve Adams, Spanish Fork City Chief of Police: First use of Narcan by Officers of the Spanish Fork Police Department: Spanish Fork Police Officers were recently issued NARCAN an opioid reversal drug to be used on victims overdosing on an opioid such as heroin or synthetic drug. They had been caring NARCAN for two weeks when they had their first opportunity to use the life saving drug. On 05/25/16 at 2217 hours officers Dallas Smith and Cory Lewis responded to a home in Spanish Fork on a report of an overdose. Upon arrival the patient was found to be in cardiac arrest. . Officer Smith performed chest compressions while Officer Lewis provided air. While performing CPR, questions were asked of those present in an effort to determine why the patient was in cardiac arrest. In plain view officers observed heroin and other drug paraphernalia related to its use. Because of the evidence in plain view and information from those present Officers choose to administer Narcan

The following nomination letter was written by John King, Provo City Chief of Police: After serving our country in the United States Marine Corps, Sergeant Taylor joined the Provo Police Department in 2004. During the winter of 2014, while assigned to the graveyard patrol shift, the Sergeant was concerned for the welfare of the homeless people that he and his officers encountered during the winter nights. After doing some research Sergeant Taylor discovered an organization in Michigan that employed homeless people to make winter coats which converted into sleeping bags. Sergeant Taylor raised enough money to buy 26 of those coats/sleeping bags and he distributed them to homeless people in need. Currently Sergeant Taylor is the supervisor of our School Resource Officers and has a meaningful impact on the safety of the children who attend school in Provo. Sergeant Taylor has taken an active role in increasing the dialogue between our police officers and the minority members we serve. He actively participates in

The following nomination letter was written by Lane Findlay, Lieutenant in the Weber County Sheriff's Office: Snowbird – On Tuesday, June 9th 2015, at the Utah Children’s Justice Symposium/Utah Prosecution Council Domestic Violence Conference, Detective Stephanie Tatton received the 2015 Utah Children’s Justice Center Program Multidisciplinary Team Award. Each year, this honor is bestowed upon one of Utah’s child abuse professionals who demonstrate tremendous commitment and courage as they work in the trenches of child abuse investigation and prosecution. They are truly the unsung heroes in Utah’s fight to protect its children. This prestigious accolade acknowledges the dedication it takes to be an effective member of the Children’s Justice Center Multidisciplinary Team. Detective Tatton, who was recently promoted to sergeant, has served the past eight years as an investigator assigned to work cases involving crimes against children. Her unwavering commitment and professionalism has made a tremendous differen

The following nomination letter was written by Scott Brenkman, Chief of Police for the Riverdale Police Department: Officer Rusty Bingham and Officer Trent Thompson responded on a call for service at a local business and while investigating that call they came upon an elderly male who was homeless. He was wet because it had been raining and it was quite cool outside at the time. The individual explained that he had family around the country, but did not want to bother them, he had recently lost his home and was staying in a nearby wooded area. His wallet had been stolen so he had no identification and because of that he was having difficulty finding a job and getting his social security benefits. Officer Bingham and Thompson took him to a local motel and paid out of their own pockets for him to get a room so he could dry out, take a warm shower and try to get some rest so he could get back on his feet. They also bought food for him and had it delivered to the room. He had several bags of his belongings he was

KSL Beyond the Badge: Lieutenant Drew Cox The following nomination letter was written by Mark Watkins, Chief of Police for the Naples Police Department. Lieutenant Drew Cox is in charge of the K-9 program at the Naples Police Department. As a small community police officer (population 3,000) our opportunities are limited as well as our resources. Lt. Cox has dedicated his time and often donated his time to our K-9 program. In the last 8 years Lt. Cox has acquired his certifications to train K-9 dogs and their handlers. Doing so has allowed the Naples Police Department to place three drug/patrol dogs patrolling our jurisdiction in a police department of only 7 officers as well as assisting other jurisdictions. Naples is able to cut the cost of purchasing and training a K-9 from approx. $18,000 to approx. $5,000 per dog saving the community money and giving them an unlimited and very valuable resource. Just recently Lt. Cox has acquired a bomb dog that I believe may be the first bomb dog outside of the Wasatch

KSL Beyond the Badge: Officer Elayne Franco, Logan City Police Department The following nomination letter was written by Lieutenant Brad Franke of Logan: Officer Franco is a first generation US citizen. Her family emigrated to the United States from Guatemala before she was born. Officer Franco was raised in the Logan area and made the decision to seek a career in Law Enforcement after talking to local officers and learning of ways she could help her community. After sponsoring herself through the Utah Police Academy, Officer Franco applied and competed against many other applicants to become a Law Enforcement Officer for her home community. Officer Franco speaks fluent English and Spanish and takes great pride in her combined American/Latino heritage. Officer Franco has served with Logan City for 2 1/2 years and very early in her career earned a reputation as a positive and energetic person who is highly respected by her coworkers, as well as anyone she comes in contact with. Her reputation though the depart