Detective Michael Rivas became a detective earlier this month after the Cortez Police Department promoted him to the Detective Division.
He has roots in Cortez dating back to his years as a high school basketball player for the Montezuma-Cortez Panthers in the early 2000s and, after a hiatus serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, returned to the community.
“I grew up here,” Rivas said. “It was a quiet place when I grew up here; times have changed.”
As a patrol officer, he broke up violent altercations, engaged in vehicle pursuits and arrested suspects on suspicion of driving under the influence. His eight and a half years of service in Iraq and Afghanistan inspired him to pursue a law enforcement career in his own community.
“I help people out overseas and why couldn’t I help people out in my hometown,” he remembers thinking.
He feels deeply connected to Cortez, its people and its surrounding geography.
“It’s a good place to raise a family. You can’t beat it,” Rivas said. “You’ve got the mountains 10 miles to the east and the desert 10 miles to the north.”
Rivas said he did not have a single proudest achievement during his patrol years and remains focused on advancing his career as the Cortez Police Department’s newest detective.
“I don’t really look back,” Rivas said. “I just go day by day.”
