2006 Baker to Vegas

The Officers of the Vernon Police Department finished in first place in the “99 and Under” division.  This was their seventh Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay Race. The "2006 Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay Race" was held on April 1st and 2nd, 2006. Over 200 different law enforcement agencies participated in the race. The agencies are from all over the country, with one team from Australia.

The "Baker to Vegas" race is a 120-mile relay race. The race starts in Baker, California and ends in Las Vegas, Nevada. The race consists of 20 stages (one participant from each department per stage). The stages vary in distance and difficulty. The shortest stage is 3.5 miles and the longest is 8.2 miles. Each stage is ranked in difficulty from 1 (most difficult) to 20 (least difficult).

Competing in the Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay Race is not an easy task, especially for the smaller law enforcement agencies. The Vernon Police Department competes in a category for agencies with 100 or less sworn officers. With under 60 sworn officers it requires a total commitment from all the members to be able to compete in the event.

The officers who compete have to do extensive training to prepare for the event. However, to field a team it takes more than just officers running in the race. There are other members of the department who have gone out of their way to help in putting together a team. These individuals joined together so that the department could participate. These included alternates, team captains, support crews, drivers, accommodation coordinators, schedulers, equipment managers, and those who stayed behind to cover shifts for everyone who participated in the event.

Some of the key figures in this year's event were Officer Dan O’Neil, Detective Gustavo Herrera, and Officer Mason Chancey. Officer O’Neil is assigned to the Patrol Division. He is a 27-year veteran and is the "Team Captain." Detective Herrera is a 5-year veteran and is assigned to the Detective Bureau. He is a Field Training Officer and is the “Team Co-Captain”.  Officer Chancey made it possible for everyone to compete, as he was the Support Captain. He was responsible for attending all the race meetings and putting together our support members. He is a 27-year veteran and is currently assigned as the Department's Evidence Officer.

Everyone who participated did a great job!