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Cortez Police Chief Lane wins award

Cortez Police Chief Roy Lane on Tuesday was presented with the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police Charles K. “Pat” Steele Award for long-term law enforcement service.

Cortez Police Chief Roy Lane recently was presented with the Charles K. “Pat” Steele Award from the

The Steele Award is given for long-term professional and ethical contributions to law enforcement and the people of Colorado and is one of the highest honors the association bestows. It’s named for Chief Charles Steele, who served as chief of police in Loveland from 1947 to 1976.

“It’s my great pleasure to give you this award,” Mayor Karen Sheek said when she presented the award to Lane.

Every member of the police department, as well as family and friends, attended the ceremony. The crowd also included other law enforcement personnel from other regional departments, including Montezuma County Sheriff Steven Nowlin and Mancos Marshal Jason Spruell.

“Seeing all the people standing here, that’s why I do what I do,” Lane said.

Lane’s career started in Winslow, Arizona. He became chief of police of Holbrook, Arizona, before becoming Cortez chief in 1981, where he has served ever since. He is the longest-serving chief of police in Colorado. After the slaying of on-duty Cortez officer Dale Claxton in 1998, Lane led a grieving department through a regional manhunt as law enforcement personnel from 75 departments searched for Claxton’s three killers.

The criteria for the Steele Award say winners must be the chief executive of a Colorado government law enforcement agency who has served in that position for 10 years or more, according to the CACP website.

Award winners also must have maintained high personal and professional standards and ethics and have worked to encourage and develop high professional values and ethics over the course of their career.

Following the award presentation, spectators congratulated Lane during a reception where, naturally, doughnuts were served.

Lane thanked city council members for their support. “I want to say thank you for tonight, it was special,” he said. “That’s why I’ve served 35 years and why I love living here.”



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