Fair Oaks District Officer of the Month: Marshall Thielen

Fair Oaks District Station named March's Officer of the Month at the Citizen Advisory Committee on Tuesday night.

Master Police Officer Marshall Thielen, who works with K-9 as a bloodhound handler, earned the honor, getting his name on a plaque and receiving a gift certificate for dinner for two from the CAC.

"Marshall is the definition of an MPO. He challenges the younger people. And this may come as a surprise to you, but the younger generation doesn't work as hard as us," Capt. Ron Lantz said with a laugh. "Marshall recognizes that and challenges them to be proactive."

Thielen has been involved with the Fairfax County Police Department since his youth, participating in the Police Explorers program as a teenager.

At the time, Lantz served as an officer in Reston, and he often had Thielen riding along with him.

"Marshall rode with me all the time, and I took a liking to him. I sorta felt like a mentor to him back in the day," Lantz said. "It's weird how things work. He came back to Fair Oaks, and now I'm the boss. He can't get rid of me."

Thielen spoke fondly of his time with the Explorers, saying it's really good for those who think they want to be a police officer because "you see the good, the bad and the ugly."

Thielen formerly served as president of the Fairfax Coalition of Police.