For immediate release: July 21, 2025

Sheriff Dan Springer invites the public to the presentation of the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (MSPOA), Medal of Merit award ceremony on Tuesday 22 July 2025 at 10 a.m. at the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Detention Center Community Room located at 605 S. 16th Ave. in Bozeman.

The MSPOA Medal of Merit is a statewide annual award requiring an award nomination by a sheriff in Montana and proceeds through a vetting and voting process to identify the best statewide candidate. The Medal of Merit is given to a sheriff’s office law enforcement officer or civilian employee for contributions to their community and to the field of law enforcement and criminal justice.

This year’s award recipient is Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office civilian employee, Senior Detention Administrative Assistant, Paula Joniak. Paula is an extraordinary worker with a list of collateral duties that alone would be a full-time job.

Paula runs the 24/7 Alcohol Monitoring program, often requiring her to coordinate with the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office and testify in court proceedings. Paula conducts administrative investigations for the detention centers Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) required by federal law for all detention centers.

Paula developed and implemented a Spanish jail commands training course for both detention officers and Spanish-speaking inmates. She also translates criminal justice documents and forms into Spanish and provides verbal interpretation over the phone, in the facility lobby, and for new inmates during intake.

Paula is not only in the detention center but can be found conducting critical Spanish translation throughout the county including for sheriff’s office criminal investigations. If this was not enough, Paula also volunteered as a Child Forensic Interviewer specializing in Spanish-speaking child victims and witnesses. Paula does all of this while maintaining her primary job duties of new employee training, customer service, answering phone calls and coordinating visitors in need of fingerprints.

You can find Paula in the office early, working late and weekends helping staff, inmates and visitors. Paula has a huge heart for this office, the Gallatin County community and is an example of the exceptional employees that call the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office home.

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