Meet Your First Responder: Sgt. Tim Dixon

WHEN DURANGO POLICE SERGEANT TIM DIXON ISN’T SUPERVISING SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, THE TRAFFIC DIVISION, OR SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU CAN FIND HIM FISHING OR CANOEING OR CLIMBING A MOUNTAIN WITH HIS WIFE, LINDA. HE LOVES THE OUTDOORS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION THAT ABOUND IN THE DURANGO AREA, AND HIS LOVE OF THE MOUNTAINS ARE WHAT ENTICED THE DIXONS TO MOVE TO DURANGO FIVE YEARS AGO AFTER FIVE YEARS WITH THE ELLISVILLE, ILLINOIS, POLICE DEPARTMENT AND 20 YEARS WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN KIRKWOOD, MISSOURI, A SUBURB IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA. DURING HIS THIRTY YEARS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, DIXON HAS SERVED AS A BEAT COP, A DARE OFFICER, AND A DETECTIVE LIASON TO THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. IN DURANGO, HE’S IN CHARGE OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. AND THROUGH ALL HIS POSITIONS, HE SAYS GOOD POLICING INVOLVES RELATIONSHIP BUILDING WITH THE RESIDENTS HE SERVES.I THINK IT’S, IT’S INTERACTION WITH THE PEOPLE IT’S GIVING PEOPLE YOUR TIME AND SHOWING AN INTEREST IN, IN WHAT THEY’RE DEALING WITH, JUST SLOWING DOWN ENOUGH TO TAKE THE TIME TO DO THAT IS SO IMPORTANT. REALLY, REALLY, AND NOT JUST IN A SMALL COMMUNITY, IT COULD BE ANYWHERE. DIXON BEGAN HIS PROFESSIONAL CAREER IN PARKS AND RECREATION, BUT 11 YEARS INTO HIS PROFESSION, HE DECIDED TO FOLLOW IN HIS FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS AND BECOME A POLICE OFFICER.MY DAD WAS A POLICE OFFICER FOR A LONG TIME, AND THERE WERE THINGS ABOUT THE RESPECT HE HAD IN THE COMMUNITY AND HOW HE HAD THE RESPECT OF THE PEOPLE AND HOW HE TREATED PEOPLE THAT MADE ME WANT TO FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS. AND THEN, ALSO, I VIEWED POLICE WORK AS SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE ESSENTIAL THAN MAYBE PARKS AND REC.DIXON ALSO FOLLOWED HIS FATHER TO DURANGO. HIS PARENTS PURCHASED A CABIN AT VALLECITO, AND IT BECAME THE DIXON FAMILY’S VACATION DESTINATION FOR MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS. TWO OF HIS CHILDREN MOVED TO DURANGO AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE, AND THE DIXONS FOLLOWED IN 2015. THE TWO WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 40TH ANNIVERSARY AT THE END OF THE MONTH, AND DIXON CREDITS THEIR LONG MARRIAGE TO A MUTUAL LOVE OF FISHING, HIKING, CAMPING, AND MOUNTAIN CLIMBING. DIXON ALSO IS A FAN OF ROCK MUSIC AND HAS ATTENDED CONCERTS FEATURING THE ROLLING STONES, THE WHO, QUEEN, THE RAMONES, DAVID BOWIE, AND MANY OTHERS. AS A BOY SCOUT LEADER IN ST. LOUIS FOR 20 YEARS, DIXON ENCOURAGED HIS SCOUTS TO BE PREPARED, AND NOW, HE ENCOURAGES RESIDENTS TO BE VIGILANTE ABOUT THEIR SUROUNDINGS AND THEIR SAFETY. BE A PARTICIPANT IN YOUR OWN SAFETY AND WELLBEING. AND, AND I DON’T WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AWAY FROM PEOPLE WHO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OTHER PEOPLE. THAT’S NOT WHAT THAT’S ABOUT, BUT YOU CAN MAKE YOURSELF LESS VULNERABLE TO THOSE PEOPLE BY BEING MORE VIGILANT AND TAKING PRECAUTIONS AND, AND BEING AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. SO THAT, THAT PHILOSOPHY OF BEING A PARTICIPANT IN YOUR OWN SAFETY, IT’S KINDA LIKE THE, THE CONVERSATION MOMS AND DADS HAVE WITH THEIR TEENAGERS. AND A TERM THAT I USED WITH MINE WAS ‘NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS AFTER MIDNIGHT.’ SO MAKE SURE YOU’RE HOME BY MIDNIGHT AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S A WAY OF PROTECTING YOURSELF AND AVOIDING, GETTING YOURSELF INTO A SCRAPE THAT YOU COULD HAVE AVOIDED.THANKS FOR WATCHING OUR FIRST RESPONDER SPOTLIGHT, BROUGHT TO YOU BY BANK OF THE SAN JUANS AND THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK. I’M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE. BE SAFE OUT THERE.