Corporal Shane Rothenberger has become a trusted leader, mentor, and community ally in his time at the Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Office. Every day, Corporal Rothenberger motivates his peers through proactive work and words of encouragement. He is the agency’s only certified Drug Recognition Expert (DRE), an active member of the NE Regional Unmanned Aerial System team, and a field training officer. Recently, Corporal Rothenberger realized a weakness in his agency’s field training program and is currently completely overhauling the first phase of it for the betterment of the agency and new hires.  

As a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and a descendent of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Corporal Rothenberger works to bridge the gap between the Native American community and law enforcement. He has created training about Native American culture and teaches it to area law enforcement agencies and training academies. Corporal Rothenberger has firsthand knowledge of the complex relationship between U.S. law enforcement and the Native American community, and he took it upon himself to teach officers to increase understanding and improve community-police interactions. 

Corporal Rothenberger proposed and, upon approval, created a cultural liaison position for his agency; in this capacity, he represents both Native Americans and law enforcement at community events. Corporal Rothenberger reaches out to youth, pointing them toward the right path, and enjoys having open dialogues to effect change. This progressive position has had a positive reaction from the Native American community in North Dakota. 

“I am perpetually motivated to better not only myself, but my coworkers so that we can provide the best service to our community.”