FORMER STEM STUDENTS RAISE MONEY FOR ACSO THERAPY DOGS
BROTHERS SELL GARDEN BOXES AND DONATE A PORTION OF THEIR SALES
"Our goal in donating is that I don’t ever want my kids to go to a school again where there's a school shooting and I can’t think of a better way to make sure it doesn’t happen," says Bambi Watson, mother.
Bannon, Brycen and BG Watson will never forget how their lives changed on May 7, 2019. All three brothers were at the STEM school in Douglas County when two boys opened fire killing a student. The Watson brothers were all under 10 years old at the time. They weren't injured, but they never returned to the school again. Instead, their family moved away, then returned to Centennial and enrolled the boys in Arapahoe County schools.
"We wanted them to be in schools that had a School Resource Officer. STEM didn't have an SRO when the shooting occurred, so having deputies there is very important to us," says Watson.
A year after the STEM shooting, in 2020, the boys started making cedar garden boxes as a hobby and selling them for $40-$60 a piece, depending on size. For first-responders and military, the boxes were free.
This year, the boys decided to donate $5 from each sale -- or about a third of their profit -- to the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office SRO therapy dog program. They started making the boxes in February. On April 13, they handed Deputy John Gray, the SRO at their school, nearly $850 to pay for training supplies for his dog Rex, who's not just a therapy dog, but a bomb dog too.
"This money will allow us to have all the training materials we need to train Rex to search for firearms, explosives and more. The nice thing about having a bomb dog in a school is not only is he able to find guns, but if there's a bomb threat, we can clear a school in 20 minutes and have the kids back safely in class," says SRO Deputy John Gray.
Bambi Watson, the boys' mother, says their ultimate goal is to raise $6,000 for the SRO program by the the end of summer and she's pretty confident they can do it.
"We teach our kids how to earn money and give back and they want to give back to things that mean something to them and to which they have a connection. They had an immediate connection to Rex," said Watson.
If you'd like to purchase a garden box, just click the buttons below. They can be purchased on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. They are for local pick up only.
OTIS & BEAR REPORT FOR DUTY
MEET THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF OUR PAW PATROL
They're only 8-weeks-old and already these puppies are helping kids in Colorado schools. Their official start date was April 20 when Arapahoe Sheriff Tyler Brown swore them into office.
K9s Otis and Bear are are 8-week-old Labrador Retrievers who will work as school therapy dogs. They already have their assignments: Otis, the black Lab, is assigned to the Byers and Deer Trail school districts in the eastern part of Arapahoe County, and his brother, Bear, is working in Cherry Creek Schools.
"There are some groundbreaking things happening at the Sheriff's Office as we continue to grow as an agency, and we're on the cutting edge of so many different things. One of those is swearing in our first female K9 handler," said Sheriff Tyler Brown.
Bear's handler is Deputy Candace Gray, who, as the sheriff mentioned, is the first female K9 handler in the history of the Sheriff's Office. She'll divide her time between all the Cherry Creek Schools in unincorporated Arapahoe County and Centennial. K9 Otis, meanwhile, will be teamed up with Deputy Drew Matthews who graduated from Byers Senior High School and who has been an SRO at the Byers and Deer Trail Schools for two years.
The dogs are used to bring comfort to students and help support their mental health. Sheriff Brown says these dogs come at a time when children need more support than ever.
"All the anxieties kids deal with on a daily basis in going to school and the world that we live in makes it difficult sometimes for them to go to school. Then having police officers there brings up different anxieties and ways that we can bridge that gap are through therapy dogs," says Sheriff Brown.
Otis and Bear will join the Sheriff's Office three other school therapy dogs Rex, Zeke and Riley.
Read the full story and watch the video of the swearing-in ceremony below and don't forget to follow the pups on Instagram!
HOLY COW!
Deputy Ferguson responded to a call to assist Arapahoe County Animal Services when she found a baby calf in the backyard of a home in a residential neighborhood near E. Smoky Hill Rd. and S. Himalaya St.
Turns out a cow gave birth to the calf at the homeowner's ranch in Douglas County, but the mama cow wasn't producing enough milk, so the rancher brought the calf to his home in Arapahoe County to nurse it back to health.
Even though livestock is not allowed in residential neighborhoods, the owner was not cited because it was a temporary situation and the priority was making sure the animal was healthy.
We're happy to report, the calf -- who has taken up residence in the dog house -- is almost at his ideal weight and well-nourished. His name is Benjamin and he'll be reunited with his mama in just a few weeks!
THE CALM VOICE
In April, we honored our 911 dispatchers for National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. Miniature therapy horse, Love Bug, paid a visit to them as we recognized their commitment, service and sacrifice. After all, they are the calming voice on the other end of the phone when those in need call for help.
A huge thank you to each and every one of you for the important job you do. We truly appreciate your commitment to this agency and are honored to have you on our team!
CRUZIN' INTO RETIREMENT
She's a familiar face around the Arapahoe County community. You may have seen her at an event or neighborhood gathering. But now, after 25 years with the Sheriff's Office, 'Cruzer' is calling it quits.
"I'm really going to miss this job. I've always felt like this is my niche and when you find your niche, it's hard to leave," says Deputy Amanda Cruz Giordano.
'Cruzer' started at the Sheriff's Office in 1998 working in the jail. After a few years, she moved onto patrol and then become a School Resource Officer at Eaglecrest High School.
In 2018, she landed in the Community Resource Unit where she organized community events such as Coffee with a Cop, Shop with a Cop and National Night Out. It's a position she cherished, in part, because of her colleagues.
"I've met some great people both in the community and at the Sheriff's Office, but I have to say, I've also had the best chain of command anyone could ask for," says Cruz Giordano.
Deputy Cruz Giordano spends much of her time mentoring young women who want to pursue a career in law enforcement. She also teaches criminal justice, community policing and crime prevention classes at Arapahoe Community College and CU Denver.
But it's events like Shop with a Cop she'll miss the most. She says the families are so grateful for the supplies they receive and it makes a big impact on a child's life.
"Seeing a huge smile on a kid's face is why I got into this business and it's a great way to end a career."
Amanda, we will miss you dearly. Thank you for your service and for 25 wonderful years!
KUDOS FROM THE COMMUNITY
JOIN US FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS
A SALUTE TO LEO MOMS
This month is Mother's Day and for us, it's a day to honor the moms who wear a badge. We may be a little biased, but we think our mom deputies are rock stars. They not only risk their lives everyday by putting on a uniform and serving the community, they also take care of their families. For that, we want to say thank you moms for all you do. We see you, we appreciate you and we honor you.