Boise IBPO Member Named One of 2008’s “Top Cops”
March 20, 2008
A member of IBPO Local 486 from the Boise, Idaho Police Department will be honored during National Police Week in May as one of this year’s “Top Cops”.
The National Association of Police Organizations named Officer Brek Orton as one of their ten “Top Cop” winners for his daring August 2007 rescue of a woman trapped in the Boise River when her raft flipped. Several witnesses and firefighters had tried unsuccessfully to free the woman from the broken tree limb that had snagged her swimsuit and trapped her underwater. Officer Orton stripped off his belt and vest, dove into the water, and held her head above the surface while a firefighter cut her free. Officer Orton swam her to shore, where paramedics began CPR. Miraculously, the woman survived.
Officer Orton, a nine-year police veteran, is part of the Special Operations Group and a member of the entry team. He also began a cooperative program with the Bronco Athletics Department at Boise State University to educate and build relationships between officers and student athletes. The program has helped decrease the number of criminal issues and conflicts involving student athletes.
“We couldn’t be prouder,” said Kip Wills, a fellow Boise officer and president of IBPO Local 486. “Officer Orton’s just one example of the kind of work ethic and service we try to bring the people of Boise every day. We’re very happy that he’s being recognized for his heroism.”