The Deputy of the Year award Nomination Selection Committee, comprised of Captain Matt Sandvick, Sergeant Casey Meyer, and Deputy Will Halverson, have selected Deputy Dylan Schmid as the 2020 Deputy of the Year. Deputy Schmid was nominated for this recognition by Major Chad Colston.
This award recognizes a specific deputy sheriff, regardless of rank, who went above and beyond the call of duty in serving the Sheriff’s Office and the citizens of Linn County during the preceding year. The Deputy of the Year award consists of a plaque given to the recipient and his/her name appears on the multi-year plaque in the first floor lobby display case at the Sheriff’s Office.
In his nomination, Major Colston advised that after considering all of the deputies under his direct command for nomination, he chose to nominate Deputy Schmid in recognition of his work over the past year and also his career with the Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Schmid has been a solid performer for the Patrol Division with steady work habits and a willingness to get involved and participate in many other extra duties. Deputy Schmid is not only a patrol deputy, but he is also a member of Special Response Team and the Accident Investigation Team.
Over the past year, Deputy Schmid has been one of the top statistical performers in the Patrol Division with over 200 citations issued, 12 drunk driving arrests, and 38 other arrests. All of this was accomplished during a strange year where deputies were instructed during certain months to try and limit unnecessary enforcement activity during the pandemic. Deputy Schmid is an essential member of the Accident Investigation and Special Response Teams, which are volunteer positions that require significant training and being on-call most of the time. Having dealt with many serious accident scenes with Deputy Schmid, Major Colston appreciated his work ethic and the knowledge that he brings to that team. His dedication to the Accident Investigation and Special Response Teams shows his commitment to the Office and his drive to challenge himself to become better.
When randomly reviewing body worn camera recordings of calls for service this past year, Major Colston advised that it was apparent that Deputy Schmid carries himself with a calm demeanor and is able to handle stressful situations in a professional manner. Although he is one of the more active deputies, it is very rare that any complaints or allegations are levied against him, which shows the professional way in which he handles himself during calls for service. The few complaints that have been received have all been proven false and, in fact, he was impressed by the professionalism that Deputy Schmid exhibited during these situations.
Deputy Schmid is also a Field Training Deputy for new patrol deputies, which takes time and patience to help ensure that the trainees are properly prepared to handle anything that may come their way. Generally, Deputy Schmid spends two weeks with each trainee in various stages of the training process. The field training position requires extra work and paperwork as well as a good working knowledge of all policies and procedures to make sure the trainees are getting proper instruction and he functions in this role very efficiently and effectively.
As part of the Nomination Selection Committee’s recommendation, Capt. Sandvick advised that “everyone on the committee has had an opportunity to work with Dylan, and we have all experienced first-hand the quality of work that Deputy Schmid does…we all believe that Deputy Schmid is an excellent representative of the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and that is why we have selected him for Deputy of the Year.”
Thank you to those employees who submitted names for Deputy of the Year consideration and those employees who volunteered to serve on the Nomination Selection Committee. Congratulations to the other deputies who were nominated for the Deputy of the Year award, but were ultimately not selected for 2020. These deputies will receive separate recognition from Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner.