Arapahoe County Deputy Shannon Lofland’s love for driving began the first time she sat in the drivers seat. 

While driving along the local roads in her hometown of Aurora, or on Interstate 25, Lofland loved the sensation she felt when traveling at high speeds. But looking back at her early days of driving, she says she lacked the skills and ability to be a “good driver”. 

“I was probably a very unsafe driver when I first started,” Lofland said while laughing. 

But during Lofland’s 18 year career with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), she’s gone from a “very unsafe driver” to the lone woman teaching law enforcement officials how to safely step on the gas in the state. 

Whether it’s a perfectly sunny day outside, or the roads at the sheriff’s office race track are slick with ice, Lofland is prepared to teach ACSO deputies the skills to keep her fellow law enforcement officials and the public as safe as possible.

“Shannon is one of those people who are dedicated to their job and truly dedicated to serving the residents of Arapahoe County, and come to find out she has a niche to drive a cop car,” said Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown. 

For the last 12 years, Lofland has been an instructor with the sheriff’s office and eight years ago she was put in charge of the driving training.

Since then, she’s become P.O.S.T.-Certified and is the only woman allowed to teach the trainers at other agencies how to drive in Colorado.

“Agencies from all over the state come to take her class because she’s that good,” said Tara Young, an investigator with the sheriff’s office. “It’s kind of fun to see some others that’ll look at her and think ‘it’s a girl trainer?’ but by the end of the class they’re astonished at her driving ability.” 

And word of her ability has spread across the country, as law enforcement agencies have traveled from Kansas, New Mexico, Nevada and Wyoming to Arapahoe County to take her course.

Young, who has trained fellow deputies alongside Lofland in the past, says that passion, dedication and love of helping others is what makes her course stand out.

“She’s really open and she wants you to learn and if you don’t understand something, she’ll take you under her wing and do a one-on-one with them,” Young said.

“She is 100% dedicated to (make sure her students) learn and truly learn it well. She goes well above and beyond what a typical instructor does.”

And that includes the classroom portion of her class, where she teaches each participant policies, procedures, state statutes and case law. 

But despite getting the recognition from her peers in the law enforcement community, Lofland says she doesn’t boast around. She cares more about the quality of her work. 

“It’s very exciting but I’m not the type of person to go out and say ‘hey, I’m the best,’ Lofland said. “I’ve worked very hard and have a huge passion for training and a second passion for driving, and I’m just lucky I can share those thing with others.”

And to Sheriff Brown, who is the father of two daughters, Lofland is another example of woman doing extraordinary things that will motivate the future generations.

“As a father of two daughters (her accomplishments are) inspirational,” Brown said.

“This profession has been dominated by men for so long and it’s amazing to see someone really thrive as an expert, so much that she’s sought after across the state, and showing women across the state that you can do anything if you can put your mind to it and Shannon is living proof of that.”

Lofland says her greatest accomplishment is seeing others thrive.

“Driving fast in a straight line is one thing, but when you have to drive fast and make contact with another vehicle, it’s not easy,” Lofland said.

“So seeing others improve and become more successful in not only their personal skills, but also in their abilities as an instructor, that’s the most rewarding part of the job.”