United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor recently made a day-long visit to the UW-Madison campus. The UW-Madison Police Department assisted the US Marshal Service with logistics and protection. During the course of the visit, a marshal noticed an unfamiliar odor emanating from the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) assigned to transport Justice Sotomayor.
The UWPD contacted the Service Garage for assistance. Jeff Templin (Automative Supervisor) and Cody Gray (Mechanic) responded quickly, diagnosed the issue, acquired replacement parts from an outside vendor, and were able to fix the LAV while Justice Sotomayor was at a lunch event. This ensured that there would be no disruption to the tight schedule of this visit.
Their quick and effective response drew praise from the Senior Inspector for the US Marshal Service, who noted that a field repair of this type “does not happen if everyone isn’t dialed in.”
The UWPD also voiced appreciation for the professional and efficient manner in which they handled this situation. Their excellent service helped the UWPD provide excellence on this protection detail, ensuring that they are held in the highest regard by the US Marshal Service.
Adapted from the official letter issued by the UW-MadisonPolice Department.