After serving in Montezuma County law enforcement for the past 30 years, Detective Tom Quinnett is retiring his badge in August.
The pursuit of a career in law enforcement began when Quinnett was in high school.
“I remember putting in my high school yearbook that I wanted to be a police officer,” Quinnett said.
He started in the Detentions Center at the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office in 1995, and after three years and POST training and certification, he advanced to the patrol division.
“During my time at the Sheriff's Office, I worked as a DUI specialist for 2½ years. I worked every holiday and weekend, combating impaired driving in the area and organizing several DUI checkpoints during that time,” Quinnett told The Journal.
In March 2001, Quinnett was named as a recipient of the Law Enforcement Assistance Fund award for making 168 DUI arrests in Montezuma County in 2001.
After serving at the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office for six years, Quinnett moved to the Cortez Police Department in 2001, where he served as a patrolman.
In 2009, he was promoted to a detective, where he specialized in child pornography, phone and computer forensics, internet luring and financial fraud cases.
Two years later, in 2011, he began the process of transferring to the narcotics division as a member of the drug task force. Quinnett has now served in this division for 14 years. In 2014, he was even tasked with overseeing the marijuana licensing and compliance for the new marijuana dispensaries merging with the city.
During his time serving as a member of the drug task force, Quinnett has worked in two Federal Task Forces. The first was in 2013, where he served as a duly appointed deputy for the U.S. Marshals Service as part of the Colorado Violent Fugitive Task Force. The second was in 2022, where he served as a duly appointed Drug Enforcement Administration Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force officer.
The OCDETF “investigates and prosecutes major drug trafficking, money laundering and other high-priority transnational organized crime networks such as the Mexican cartels,” Quinnett said.
Quinnett also witnessed the loss of fellow officers.
“I have unfortunately experienced the tragic death of two fellow officers who were gunned down in the line of duty, serving with the Cortez Police Department,” Quinnett said. “In 1998, the Cortez Police Department and the community lost officer Dale Claxton on May 29, 1998. Then again, the Cortez Police Department and community lost Sgt. Michael Moran on Nov. 29, 2023. These incidents are devastating and live with you during your whole career.”
Quinnett has also worked on many notable cases, including those involving homicide, child exploitation, internet luring of children, fraud and embezzlement, serious assaults, large-scale federal drug cases and more.
“One case in particular was a COCCA case I investigated in 2010,” Quinnett said. “This investigation involved a national bank fraud ring based in California, which scammed businesses and banks in Colorado, Nebraska, Utah, North Dakota, Illinois and Wisconsin, resulting in hundreds of thousands in stolen funds. Six individuals were ultimately indicted and convicted to serve time in federal prison.”
Another case Quinnett noted took place in July 2022 when the U.S. Attorney in Colorado announced that a large-scale operation in Southwest Colorado had shut down a drug trafficking operation and resulted in the sentencing of eight people.
Prior to the operation, the Montezuma/Cortez Narcotics Investigation Team, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Indian Affairs were informed that a drug trafficking organization was bringing “significant amounts” of methamphetamine and fentanyl into Montezuma County. More than a kilogram of methamphetamine, 1,000 fentanyl pills and multiple stolen firearms and vehicles were recovered during the investigation.
“This career has been very demanding as well as rewarding,” Quinnett said. “It has not only been demanding on me, but also on my wife and children throughout the years. I appreciate everyone who has been a part of it.”
Quinnett shared that those in law enforcement are heroes who put their lives on the line each day because it is their calling to serve and protect.
“Police officers put their lives on the line every single day. These officers don’t do this for the pay, they don't do it for retirement and they don't do this for ‘show.’ They chose this career as a lifelong profession because it’s their calling in life,” Quinnett said. “They endure it to make a difference in the life of a suspect or civilian, and can give wisdom to a felon and healing to a victim. Officers spend endless time on their days off just to complete yearly training and certifications, as well as testifying in court proceedings several times a month. They are engaged in the community and schools and provide training and education to businesses, banks, as well as public forums, to educate the community. These officers are absolutely superheroes, better than any Marvel character you could possibly think of. And yet, at the end of the day, they come home as regular fathers and wives to the family they love.”
While Quinnett doesn’t have concrete plans for retirement right now, he does plan on staying in the Montezuma County area.
“I plan on staying in this community as I have family and friends in the area,” Quinnett said. “I believe that this is a wonderful area to live in and have lots of outdoor activities to dive into, including hunting, fishing, camping and driving the back roads of the San Juan Mountains, which I love.”
Quinnett shared that while he will miss his time in law enforcement, he is looking forward to sharing retirement with his wife.
“I would just like to say it has been an utmost honor to serve the Cortez Police Department, the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office and the community of Cortez and Montezuma County. It has been a fun ride, and I will miss it,” Quinnett said. “I would also like to thank my wonderful wife, who has been with me during my many years in this career. I know it's not easy being a police officer's wife, and I'm so grateful for her understanding and support she has provided, which has been a lifeline for me. She has provided a loving home, which I consider to be my safe haven, and filled with peace when I come home from the most unpeaceful situations. I am eternally grateful to her, and we look forward to retirement together.”
