By VERNON ROBISON
Moapa Valley Progress
A local police officer has received a special commendation from the Metropolitan Police Department. On Wednesday, February 1, Officer Andy Caldwell received Metro’s Community Service Award during a brief presentation at the Overton Substation. Presenting the commendation was Metro Undersheriff Kevin McMahill.
“This is an important commendation and it would normally be presented in a much bigger ceremony in Las Vegas,” explained local Metro Sergeant Bret Empey.
But in this case, Caldwell plans to retire next month, before the next Metro awards presentation. So McMahill travelled to Overton specifically to bestow the commendation before Caldwell’s retirement, Empey said.
The Metro Community Service Commendation is awarded to individual officers for rendering extraordinary and continuing service to their communities. These efforts are manifest by the officers while they are both on and off duty.
The award certificate recognized Caldwell for serving as a board member of the local Cappalappa Family Resource Center, a mentor for recovering addicts at the Las Vegas’ Catholic Charities Mission, a youth camp counselor, and a strong champion of the local Shop-with-a-Cop program.
In his recommendation, Empey stated that Caldwell had extended his community service far beyond just the realm of his job as police officer in the community.
“Andy, and his family have continually served at the Las Vegas Rescue Mission over the past eight years,” Empey related. “As his two daughters were growing up, they would accompany their parents to the mission every Sunday to help serve meals”
Empey’s recommendation also referred to a specific incident recently when Caldwell went out of his way to assist a member of the community who desperately needed assistance.
On New Year’s Eve of 2012, fellow officer Troy Benson was called to the top of the mesa just south of Overton to check on a resident who was living in a van in the area known as “Poverty Flats”.
He found 65 year old Fred Vernon who had no money, no food and no means to help himself. Vernon’s situation had become critical, Benson said. He was severely malnourished and had trouble speaking and responding to questions. He had not eaten anything in about two weeks, according to Benson.
“Without intervention, Vernon would have been dead in a very short time,” Benson wrote in a report of the incident.
In determining how to best help the man, Benson immediately thought of his colleague, Officer Caldwell.
“He invests much of his off duty time…working to help people who can’t help themselves and provide a positive leg up in the community,” Benson wrote of Caldwell.
Benson placed a call to Caldwell, even though he knew it was Caldwell’s day off.
“Caldwell immediately jumped into action,” Benson wrote.
Though, Caldwell was out of town with his family at the time, within a short period, he had reached out to members of his local church and to Cappalappa board members who responded to the location to help. Immediate needs were addressed that evening.
The next day, Caldwell and his family went up to the location to meet Vernon. They brought food from their home to get him through the holiday and also consulted with him on helping him receive longer-term assistance.
Over the next few weeks, Caldwell transported Vernon to Cappalappa Family Resource Center where he helped him apply for Social Security, Veteran benefits, Medicare and food stamps.
Later Caldwell was able to help Vernon take up residence in a trailer at one of the mobile home parks in Overton with a low rent that he could manage.
“Caldwell’s actions not only saved (Vernon’s) life, but gave him a new outlook and a future,” Benson wrote.
Caldwell has been a Resident Officer in Overton since August of 2009.
