Two of Taylorsville City’s most beloved officers recently marked special milestones — complete with cake and plenty of tail wags. 

The Taylorsville Police Department celebrated the birthdays of its K-9 partners, Koda, now 6, and Turbo, who turned 5. The celebration recognized not only their years of service but also the hard work that goes into maintaining top performance as crime-fighting dogs. 

Koda and Turbo, along with their handlers — Officer Moore and Officer Wakefield, as well as former handler Sgt. Palmer — have built impressive résumés. Both dogs have earned numerous awards and are well known for their ability to track fleeing suspects and detect illegal drugs. 

“Koda and Turbo have proven time and again that they’re essential to our work,” said Chief Brady Cottam. “We’re grateful for the dedication they and their handlers bring to every call." 

The gathering this past month at the police station was a small but meaningful reminder of the important bond between the department’s officers and their K-9 partners, as well as a chance to honor two “top dogs” whose work often goes unseen but is deeply appreciated.

Employee of the Month

Congratulations to Det. Christensen, Taylorsville Police Department’s latest Employee of the Month! Since 2015, Detective Christensen has dedicated his career to serving the citizens of Taylorsville. He first served with the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office prior to its transition to the Unified Police Department. With the formation of the Taylorsville Police Department in 2021, he remained committed to serving the Taylorsville community. 

Throughout his career, Det. Christensen has enjoyed working with the citizens of Taylorsville and has always admired the values demonstrated by the city’s administration and elected officials. He has served in many roles, including patrol officer, field training officer, traffic investigator, emergency vehicle operations instructor, firearms instructor and motor officer. He is currently assigned to the Directed Enforcement Unit, which carries a wide range of responsibilities. 

Det. Christensen was nominated for Employee of the Month by Sgt. Palmer and selected by Chief Cottam for his “exceptional contributions to the unit and dedicated service to the citizens of Taylorsville.” Sergeant Palmer noted that Det. Christensen has “gone above and beyond in fostering collaboration with Taylorsville City officials, administration, code enforcement, businesses, property owners and other government and community organizations. His efforts have led to grant funding being awarded to Taylorsville, improvements to city ordinances and policies, upgraded equipment and the successful resolution of several nuisance properties within the city.” 

One recent notable achievement includes securing a $40,000 grant from the Division of Natural Resources to support the department’s bike squad and fund patrols along the Jordan River as part of the State of Utah’s Jordan River clean-up initiative. 

In his free time, Det. Christensen enjoys camping, boating, mountain biking and spending time with his family. Thank you, Det. Christensen, for your outstanding service to Taylorsville!