Marion County Sheriff Kevin Cripps presented the Outstanding Excellence Award and the Officer of the Year Award at the department’s Christmas Party over the weekend.
Lieutenant Anthony Decker was presented the Outstanding Excellence Award by the sheriff.
“He takes training very seriously,” Cripps said. “He takes day-to-day operations very seriously. Learning ID networks, he has spent countless hours with ID networks. I go to him whenever I have questions, and we bounce stuff off of each other and so forth. He’s always running camera wires, you guys notice he’s helping to do that kind of stuff. He makes very important decisions throughout the office, keeping things in line whether I’m there or not.”
Cripps then awarded the Officer of the Year to Deputy Hannah Tellefsen. He noted the 17-year department veteran going the extra step when dealing with the elderly and young children. He noted one case where Tellefsen was about to help get a young child home.
“They were not able to get any information out of this young girl,” Cripps said. “The sheriff’s office was called and deputy Tellefsen was the one who arrived. Her motherly instinct kicked in and she was able to get down to that child’s level and communicate. In just a short time, she was able to find out where that child lives and get that child back to her mom.”
Cripps also cited two cases where Tellefsen took extra steps to help elderly residents she came into contact. The most recent case she helped a son make contact with his father, loaning the father his phone when learning that his had broken. In 2018, Cripps noted Tellefson on her own checking on an elderly male she had earlier contact when he checked out of the hospital. She found him on the floor of his home in need of help. Cripps said Tellefson potentially saved the man’s life.
Tellefson said she was very surprised by the award. She noted the chances to help people is what she lives for and keeps her going.
