As a Cortez police officer, Nowlin worked under Lane for many years in the 1980s.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe helped me and the other young officers learn the job and perform with integrity and professionalism,\u201d he said. \u201cI learned from Roy the importance of listening to people, doing things the right way. As a young officer, I caused him some aggravation, I\u2019m sure. When something was not right, he would make us go back and fix it, and we did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the years, Nowlin and Lane kept in touch and worked on cases and community problems together.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe met often, and I\u2019d bounce issues and ideas off him. He has helped me as sheriff,\u201d Nowlin said. \u201cRoy was a natural leader, and we followed his example.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lane\u2019s outreach in the community made him a more effective chief, Nowlin said. He served on many local boards, including The Bridge shelter<\/a>, Hospice and Renew Inc.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHe had great input, and looked for innovative solutions,\u201d Nowlin said. \u201cHe was open to new ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n One of Lane\u2019s goals was to establish a detox center and inpatient mental health facility in the county, and that effort will continue, Nowlin said.<\/p>\n While chief, Lane handled many high-profile cases, including bank robberies, murders and drug trafficking. He led the investigation into the Cortez police officer Dale Claxton<\/a>\u2019s murder in 1998, which triggered to the state\u2019s largest ever manhunt in Southwest Colorado and Utah. As chief, he also investigated the 2001 death of Fred Martinez, a Navajo student at Montezuma-Cortez High School who was murdered south of Cortez. The case got national attention and sparked a discussion about the LGBTQ community, garnering press from The Washington Post at the time and inspiring a now-popular PBS documentary \u201cTwo Spirits.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Colorado Gov. Jared Polis recently signed a proclamation honoring Lane\u2019s service to law enforcement as the longest-serving chief in Colorado history.<\/p>\n Cortez Mayor Karen Sheek said the proclamation was presented to Lane\u2019s family at a community dinner held in his honor Friday at the Cortez Police Department.<\/p>\n The fact that the wider community is grieving, not just law enforcement, is testament to Lane\u2019s influence in Cortez and the wider county, Sheek said.<\/p>\n \u201cHis commitments were not limited to his job,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are all one big family in this area, and we are grieving like we lost a family member.\u201d<\/p>\n She says his compassion is a value that will live on in Cortez.<\/p>\n For example, Cortez officers are known for treating the local homeless population with dignity and respect, Sheek said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat came from Roy\u2019s training,\u201d she said. \u201cIn other communities, you might see a more impatient attitude from police, but Roy had compassion and knew as people, we have the obligation to help one another.\u201d<\/p>\n The city of Cortez recently named the municipal court the Roy Lane Courtroom.<\/p>\n His integrity and love of the law enforcement profession defines Lane\u2019s legacy, colleagues said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was the boss, but always spread out the credit,\u201d Brock said. \u201cEveryone looked his way. He never barged into a room, he was always invited.\u201d<\/p>\n