Wyoming Department of Public Safety recognizes officers, firefighters during annual event

2019 Civilian of the Year: Forensic Science Unit Technician Todd Masula (Photo by WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

It seems like it only takes a keystroke for a television forensic scientist to determine who left that fingerprint on the wall, but Wyoming Department of Public Safety Forensic Science Unit Technician Todd Masula knows better than that.

He has spent countless hours hours putting in latent prints, manually scanning each useable print and carefully marking as many small details with each print as he can find. The more details Masula’s can isolate, the greater the chance of making an identification.

“The computer does not find the match for Todd, but instead gives him a list of candidates that most closely match the latent he entered,” said Wyoming Department of Public Safety Lt. Tim Pols. “This means Todd may have to look at 20 or more candidates for each latent print he enters into the system.”

The number of prints Masula looked at last year alone were in the thousands. In 2019, of the 600 latent prints Masula entered into the new Automated Fingerprint System, 348 were identified to an individual. According to Pols, in the previous three years combined, 550 latent prints were entered, resulting in 281 identifications.

“It is hours of difficult, tedious, and often unnoticed work,” Pols said. “The latent work is in addition to the science work, photography, training and property management still required of Masula.”

It is this reason that the Wyoming Department of Pubic Safety group of civilian employees named Masula as the 2019 Civilian of the Year for the department.

Masula was recognized along with about 60 other Department officers, firefighters, and civilians during the annual Wyoming Department of Public Safety Employees Recognition Ceremony, which was held Feb. 20 at the Wyoming Senior Center. Pols, from police, and Lt. Chris Velzen, from fire, were the master of ceremonies.

Coming in during off hours to help prevent a suicide, returning a teenager safely to her home, noticing a suspicious car that leads to a drug arrest, or even spending countless hours logging latent prints are all part of the job for many of the officers, firefighters, and civilians who work for the department, said Chief Kim Koster.

2019 Officer of the Years: Officer Marcus Donker (Supplied)

“None of these officers seek out the accolades for doing any of this,” Koster said, adding this is a time for the department to recognize just what the team at the Wyoming Department of Public Safety does.

Once such officer is Officer Marcus Donker, who was recognized at the beginning of the hour-and-half event with the first two Individual Commendations for his work that lead to the recover of stolen vehicles. He also was recognized at the end of the program as the 2019 Officer of the Year.

“Since joining the Wyoming team, he has quietly earned a reputation as an outstanding police professional with a keen ability to catch criminals and a heart for serving his community,” Pols said during the ceremony.

Donker has been in law enforcement for 14 years coming from the Constantine Police Department three years ago to serve on the Wyoming Department of Public Safety. He has received praise and accolades across the board from his peers, Pols said.