Plymouth Volunteer Awarded by Hennepin County Sheriff's Office

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office held its annual Volunteer Appreciation Banquet on Oct. 11. Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek thanked all the volunteers for their dedication and many hours of service including Roald Knutson of Plymouth.

Knutson has served for 35 years on the Sheriff's Mobile Amateur Radio Corp  and the Sheriff’s Water Patrol.  He has 18 letters of commendation for water rescues, recoveries and safety education. 

So far in 2013, Sheriff’s Office volunteers known as Special Deputies have worked more than 17,000 hours. The Sheriff’s Special Deputies have a proud history and the Sheriff’s Office recognizes significant milestones in their years of service. 

“Special Deputies demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to service,” said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, “Their many years of volunteering means they are a tremendous asset to the Sheriff’s Office – especially during large scale, emergency events.” 

The Sheriff’s Office volunteers receive rigorous training and they are “sworn-in” by the Sheriff.  These civilians earn the title, “Special Deputy.”  There are more than 100 Special Deputies at the Sheriff’s Office who respond to emergencies, patrol roadways and waterways, work at community events in public safety roles, and provide safety instruction to residents. 

“Years of Service Awards” included one volunteer who has provided 45 years of service and two volunteers who have provided more than 35 years of service.  Collectively, these three volunteers have given more than a century of service! 

Other significant “Years of Service Awards” included; 15 years of service (2 volunteers), 10 years of service (1 volunteer), and 5 years of service (19 volunteers). 

Sheriff Stanek recognized 13 new Special Deputies who recently completed training. 

A non-profit organization, the Hennepin County Sheriff Foundation, provides financial support to the Special Deputy units.  The Foundation assists with the annual banquet to honor the Special Deputies. 

(Information provided by a Hennepin County Sheriff's Office press release.)