The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

Moving to Holyoke in March 2022 "to slow things down" after faster-paced living in Commerce City, Robert Corrado did not intend to become a sheriff's deputy; he simply planned on ordering a concealed-carry permit. Then Thom Elliott, the late Phillips County sheriff, arrived for the delivery.

Corrado had been working for the Comcast Corporation in a job that required he make a multi-hour trek to Denver for four days a week. He wanted to find work "closer to home" and, after meeting Elliott and getting to know him, considered a new option.

"My wife showed me the ad for patrol deputy in The Holyoke Enterprise," Corrado noted, "and said, 'Why don't you give them a call?'"

When Corrado responded, Sheriff Michael Beard - then undersheriff - "was kind enough" to explain to him the process of law enforcement; he also took Corrado on ride-alongs so he could watch the job in progress. Briefly, Corrado considered whether his lack of family history or personal experience in the profession could prove a barrier.

"In fact, I told Mike and Thom, 'I don't know. Am I the right guy for this? I don't have any background in it,'" Corrado recalled. "They were very encouraging and said, 'That doesn't bother us one bit. You seem like a smart guy and we would love you to come on board.'"

After four months of training, Beard swore in Corrado as a deputy the morning of Friday, May 12.

Corrado brings to the Sheriff's Office "great maturity and life experiences," according to Beard, adding "he's going to be wonderful to mold." During Corrado's four-month training to become a deputy, Beard said, he continued to show promise.

"Just working with him ... I've seen good decision-making and calmness - he doesn't panic and freak out under stress," Beard said. "I think he's going to be a valuable asset to our team."

Beard also noted a positive assessment for a second recruit to the Sheriff's Office, Emali Torres, who is set to be sworn in as a deputy by August, following her 21st birthday. In her case, Beard said, she brings a "great energy" to her work.

While a student at Holyoke JR/SR High School, Torres interned at the sheriff's office for two years, and - in Beard's estimation - "knows a lot about [its] responsibilities and direction." During the internship, Beard noted, Torres expressed a strong desire to become a deputy.

"She is excited to be on board," Beard said. "Until she attains her 21st birthday," according to Beard, Torres will continue training and work part-time in administrative duties.

A good deputy, Beard said, "is intelligent enough to use their brain muscle more than their muscle," talking with people of all different backgrounds and mindsets to "take control of the situation without being overly aggressive ... and come to an amicable solution."

Corrado, who earned the top academic cadet scores in his class, said the most challenging aspect of law enforcement is rooted in the application of force. When making an arrest, he continued, "you never want to use more force than what's necessary, but also – if you're in a dangerous situation – you have to be able to think through it and know the appropriate level [to use]."

Those who wish to join law enforcement, according to Corrado, should "keep out of trouble because there's a pretty good background process" to pass before one can be considered for the job. At the front of his training area, he said, a sign stated that if a person could not follow the rules, they could not enforce them either.

"The requirements to become a peace officer are high," he said, "and honesty and integrity are at the top of that list."

The sheriff's office may be reached at (970) 854-3144.