One of the first faces you will see when your young driver starts their four-day class at TopCops is our valued volunteer, Sergeant Cabot. Beginning in 2012, Sgt. Cabot is one of our original TopCops. As a newly retired traffic sergeant, he volunteers his time to lead a trusted group of fellow traffic officers who spend their days off teaching teens to drive safely, using their experience as traffic cops to give teens an advantage behind the wheel.

With almost 30 years of police experience, Sgt. Cabot is considered a driving instruction and traffic safety EXPERT and is certified to testify as an expert witness in Boulder County Courts. Sgt. Cabot served the majority of his career as a Traffic Unit Sergeant and investigated thousands of accidents. Sgt. Cabot is certified by the Colorado State Patrol to train new police officers to drive their police vehicles with lights and sirens, and he uses his certification as a POST Academy Instructor in our TopCops curriculum. Sgt. Cabot's extensive experience working with teens, coupled with his tenure as a Traffic Sergeant, is the pillar of what makes the TopCops learning experience so much more comprehensive than any other driving school in the state. Since 2012, TopCops has taught over 10,000 teens in Boulder and surrounding cities to drive with excellent results!

Sgt. Cabot handpicks and trains our driving instructors. All of our officers are background checked by the State of Colorado to obtain their instructor certification, as you can see from our driving instructors below, Sgt. Cabot picks only the best of the best to join our team here at TopCops. Our experienced team is why parents come back to us for each of their kids' driver's education as they near the age of 15. Our partnership with local police officers and our reputation in the "Mom" network in Boulder and surrounding cities puts us at the top of the list of where to send your teen to learn to drive.

So come and join us, and let our team teach your kid to drive, like a TopCop!

Dr. Melinda Groom-Cabot is the owner and founder of TopCops Driving School. With over 30 years of experience as a Teacher, Principal, Chief Academic Officer, and Superintendent, she teamed up with Sgt. Cabot (the expert in traffic safety) will develop the curriculum for TopCops Driving School, which is specifically targeted at developing the teen brain so that our students understand both the responsibility and safety aspects of driving.

Dr. Groom-Cabot holds a BS from the University of Wyoming, two master’s degrees, and received her Ph.D. from Nova Southeastern University. She has held positions in many CO school districts, including Boulder Valley School District. Holding titles from teacher to Superintendent gives her an understanding of the diversity of learning backgrounds among all students. Dr. Groom-Cabot holds an administrator’s license, which qualifies her to provide accommodations for students with special needs under a 504 or IEP.

Any other school cannot match her commitment to the classroom side of TopCops. This is what makes TopCops stand alone as the most elite and comprehensive driving school in the state of Colorado. She attends all the 30-hour classroom instruction days for every session.

Amy was born and raised in Colorado. She is married to Commander Dudley of the Thornton Police Department; they have four adult children who all participated in the TopCops Driving School program. Amy has been with TopCops for over ten years and will be one of the voices you hear on the TopCops line. She is a wizard with the scheduling software and can help you personalize the BTW driving lesson experience for your student driver.

Amy is happy to answer any questions about Colorado State DMV Regulations and can guide you through the program or assist you in understanding your TopCops scheduling account.

Melisa retired from the Boulder Valley School District in 2022 after over 30 years of experience in education as a teacher, principal, and in other leadership positions. She started with TopCops immediately after her retirement and feels it is a great way to stay connected to students and parents while still using her educational expertise in a different capacity. She has worked with students with 504s and IEPs, as well as with students' learning styles throughout her career, and that knowledge allows her to support parents through the driver's education process for their child(ren).

She and her husband enjoy hanging out with their golden retrievers, camping, and 4-wheeling.

TopCops is so lucky to add to the long list of amazing professional instructors that work for the company with the addition of Glenn Davis, who recently retired as the Highway Safety Director for the Colorado Department of Transportation. Glenn's responsibilities include coordinating the Impaired Driving, Speed Enforcement, and Motorcycle Safety Program.

Glenn retired from the Littleton Police Department (LPD) after 25 years in law enforcement. At LPD, Glenn served in the patrol, detectives, and community service divisions. Glenn's last assignment at LPD was as a school resource officer at Littleton High School. Glenn still has a law enforcement role as a sergeant in the reserves of a police department in north-east Colorado. Glenn has held instructor qualifications in motorcycle basic operator, standard field sobriety testing, Intoxilyzer, and drug recognition expert training. Glenn has a B.A. in Criminal Justice and a Master's Degree in Education from Colorado State University.

Glenn has an extensive educational background that he is excited to share with young drivers, and he is committed to preparing young people to drive safely and enjoy their driver training experience. Glenn's leadership in traffic safety at the state level certainly makes him a TopCop!

Doyle Jones is a lead instructor at TopCops and has been in law enforcement for over 30 years. He began his career in the Larimer County Sheriff's Office as a patrol officer in 1980. In 1986, Doyle went to the Idaho Springs PD.  He became a S.W.A.T. officer in Idaho Springs. Doyle came back to Larimer County as a reserve Sergeant. Weld and Larimer counties operated a joint police academy where he conducted most of the training for new law enforcement officers.

Doyle became the Director of the Law Enforcement Academy for Weld County full-time in 2017. Doyle has become a master police driving instructor, teaching instructors for police and sheriff agencies throughout Colorado. Doyle has been a law-enforcement driving instructor since 1985.

He is recognized as a Master Driving instructor with the State of Colorado and now passes the skills and abilities that he teaches to police across Colorado to your young driver. Doyle's commitment to safe driving and his willingness to share what he knows with our young drivers in Boulder make him a TopCop!

Officer Randy San Nicolas has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology with a minor in Sociology from Metropolitan State University and has been in law enforcement for approximately 25 years.

He worked as a Deputy Sheriff for the Adams County Sheriff's Office as well as a Patrol Officer for the Longmont Police Department. During this time, he worked in various positions: a Patrol Deputy, Courts, and then later transport, before retiring in 2018 as a Deputy Sheriff Technician. He had worked these Divisions as a Field Training Officer and was an operator on the Adams County Sheriff's Office SWAT. Randy was also given the Medal of Valor, two Life Saving Awards, and received the Peace Officer of the Year Award in 2000 with the Adams County Sheriff's Office.

Randy enjoys fishing, hunting, being in the great outdoors, and archery. He's also a level 1 instructor with USA Archery. Randy has been married for 23 years and has a 23-year-old daughter.

Randy holds a Commercial Driver's License and truly enjoys teaching the younger generation to be safe, courteous, and cautious on Colorado's busy roads.

Sgt. George Rood began his Police career as a Deputy Sheriff with the Boulder County Sheriff's Office in 2002 and quickly became a Field Training Officer. George was certified as a coach with the Northern Colorado Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) in 2013. George was assigned to work on inmate mental health issues and taught the CIT curriculum to Deputies in both Boulder County and surrounding agencies.

In 2019, George accepted a Sergeant position with Regis University Campus Safety in Denver, Colorado. He became well-versed in the Jeanne Clery Act for Higher Education and also trained students and faculty in ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) for emergency situations that might occur on campus. George is trained in FEMA Incident Command and FEMA Diversity Awareness. In 2020, George began working for a private security company as a supervisor at the Thornton Courthouse and Thornton City Hall.

George takes pride in educating teens and adults on safe driving. He teaches with patience, thoroughness, and an easygoing attitude. George's background, passion for teaching, and easygoing attitude help students feel at ease and help TopCops stand out as the most elite driving school in Colorado.

Sgt. Dave Orr's law enforcement career spans 36 years, with the last 34.5 spent right here in Colorado with the Longmont Police Department. During his tenure with the Longmont Police Department, Dave held assignments in Patrol, Detectives, SWAT, Professional Standards (Internal Affairs), and Support Services. He also served as a Field Training Officer for many years prior to being promoted. Dave received numerous awards and commendations over the course of his career, including multiple Meritorious Achievement Citations and the department's Life Saving and Distinguished Service medals.

In addition to teaching his own two teenage children and a foreign exchange student from Germany to drive, Dave occasionally served as a driving instructor in the department’s Student Police Academy. Dave retired in 2015 at the rank of sergeant. Shortly after retiring, Dave and his wife moved to and lived in Costa Rica for two years before returning to the U.S. Dave sees his service with TopCops Driving School as an opportunity to give back to the community by training the next generation of drivers, who he hopes will be the safest in the state. Dave’s long career and extensive experience are what make Dave one of our TopCops!

Brian is currently a Firefighter with Adams County Fire Rescue. Brian has been a first responder for five years and loves what he does. "A career as a first responder is extremely rewarding, and there is no better feeling than making someone's difficult situation just a little better." Prior to his career as a first responder, Brian attended the University of San Diego and received a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies.

Brian has responded to hundreds of accident scenes and gravitated towards becoming a driving instructor for a few reasons. "First and foremost, becoming a safe, attentive, and well-prepared driver is crucial for an enjoyable experience whenever you get behind the wheel. Driving should be fun, but it should also always be done safely and smartly, and I believe this mindset is best taught during the permit process. Secondly, I simply enjoy teaching! I love driving, and I take it very seriously anytime I step into a car. My goal is to pass this mindset onto every student I teach so they can feel confident and safe anytime they drive."

When Brian is not at one of his two careers, he enjoys spending time with his wife and dog, and doing anything and everything outdoors. Brian's commitment to traffic safety for TopCops sets us apart from all other driving schools in Colorado, and his attention to detail will have your young student driving like a TopCop!

Officer Paul Martinez is a United States Marine Veteran and served in both Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Paul was a police officer for 10 years and served as a sergeant and K-9 officer with the Huntersville Police Department in North Carolina. He also received a Life-Saving Award with the Thornton Police Department for pulling a suicidal person off a bridge. Paul has always enjoyed working with youth and the opportunity to teach and mentor.

Paul says, "TopCops allows me to meet some amazing youth, and hopefully teach them some life lessons that they will remember, and keep them safe on the roads." Paul's service to our country and his commitment to keeping teens safe behind the wheel are what make him a TopCop!

Officer Rory Coonts has been in law enforcement and has recently retired after forty years. Rory began his career with the Colorado State Patrol in Boulder County. Rory worked the majority of his career with the City of Thornton Police Department. He held several positions within the Thornton Police Department, but after joining the Youth Services Unit, he discovered his passion for working with youth in schools and the community. During the last seven years, Rory finished his career with the City of Commerce City Police Department, developing a nationally recognized Youth Services Unit.

Rory enjoys building relationships with the kids and families of the communities he serves. Rory is looking forward to the next chapter in educating teenagers and promoting safety as they enter into their next phase of independence behind the wheel.

Lieutenant Suter is an Army veteran who retired after a 30-year career in law enforcement with the Eaton Police Department. Earlier in his career, he served as an officer with the Lone Tree and Silverthorne Police Departments. Lt. Suter was a Field Training Officer and later a Field Training Officer Program Coordinator. Lt. Suter is a Level II Technical Traffic Crash Investigator and has been certified to testify as an expert witness in court on traffic crash investigations.

He attended the FBI S.W.A.T. School and the FBI Rocky Mountain Command College. Lt. Suter partnered with North Range Behavioral Health and established the North Weld County Co-Responder Program. This program embeds Behavioral Health Clinicians with police officers to better support people who are experiencing a mental health crisis. Lt Suter served as an investigator with the 19th Judicial District DA's Office Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) and has investigated numerous officer-involved shootings.

He graduated from the 1st Judicial District Detective Academy, and one of the highlights of his career was investigating and solving a 1986 cold case homicide. Lt. Suter is the recipient of the Medal of Valor, the Distinguished Service Cross, and three Meritorious Service Awards. Lt. Suter has been married to his wife, Ginger, for 25 years, and she is a dispatcher for the Colorado State Patrol. He has three insubordinate dachshunds.

Robert Stoner has spent the last 22 years in Adams 12 Five Star Schools and Boulder Valley Schools, working and coaching teen athletes. Athletics and coaching have been a part of his life since he was 5 years old. Robert played soccer, wrestled, and ran track and field from youth associations through middle school, High School Soccer, wrestling, and football. In college, Robert wrestled at Western State College, Colorado.

Robert says that coaching teens is one of the most rewarding things that he has ever done. Robert feels it is a great honor and responsibility to teach new drivers the rules of the road, which should never be taken for granted. Robert's coaching style focuses on the fundamentals of driving, as in any sport, because that is the basis for developing a successful driver or player. Robert truly believes that the lessons taught in athletics have helped him to succeed in other areas of his life, and he is excited to help new drivers learn the fundamentals so that they can become safe drivers. Robert's coaching experience is what makes him such a fantastic driving instructor at TopCops!

Bio Coming

Jimmy Tolvo Jr. comes to us as a commercial truck driving instructor with over 36 years of experience as a commercial truck driver / CDL instructor. Jimmy has an impeccable safety record with over three million miles of over-the-road (OTR) experience. Jimmy is also a Class C certified instructor for cars and pickups. His expertise in highway driving and his extensive knowledge of handling larger vehicles, including semi-trucks, broaden the level of instruction we offer here at TopCops.

Jimmy has spent many years teaching other instructors and commercial drivers the rules of the road, so he is a natural fit to teach your young driver the proper tactics for merging, changing lanes, and maintaining a safe following distance on the highway. His outstanding safety record and leadership as a CDL instructor make him an asset to us here at TopCops!