NEWS — Four graduate from sheriff’s office academy

By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times

The county sheriff’s office welcomed a cadre of new deputies Friday with the graduation of four cadets from the Val Verde County Sheriff’s Academy.

Jesse Ray Barragan, Maria Fernanda Morris, Ricardo Arturo Perez and Jose Arturo Tovar received their badges during a graduation ceremony held in the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District’s Student Performance Center.

Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office (VVSO) Lt. Gina Garcia served as mistress of ceremonies for the event and welcomed the cadets’ family members and friends and dignitaries, including county elected leaders and city officials.

Garcia, who oversees special operations for the sheriff’s office, introduced members of the VVSO’s administrative staff, including Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez and Chief Deputy Jose Ortiz.

Garcia said, “Our cadets have been tested mentally, physically and morally. . . Today, they do not just graduate and take an oath. They are here to serve, protect and uphold the values of justice, integrity and courage. This ceremony is not just a celebration of achievement, it is a powerful reminder of the strength of character that defines a peace officer.”

The ceremony began with an invocation by Deacon Robert Sanchez and the Pledge of Allegiance, led by the four cadets.

The sheriff then addressed the assembly, thanking SFDRCISD School Superintendent Dr. Carlos Rios for use of the venue, the cadets’ families and the county elected officials and city leaders who attended the ceremony. He also recognized former U.S. Magistrate Judge Victor Roberto Garcia.

Of the cadets, Martinez said, “We’re very proud of them. We believe we have an outstanding group of young men and woman who are going to protect our community.”

Martinez urged the cadets to read the law enforcement code of ethics.

“If you follow those values, you will be in this profession for a very long time,” the sheriff said.

He reminded the graduates a law enforcement officer’s “fundamental duty is to serve, to serve the community, to safeguard lives and property, to protect the innocent, the weak, the peaceful, against violence and disorder and to respect the Constitutional rights of all to liberty, equality and justice.”

Martinez said the sheriff’s office badge was “a symbol of public faith and trust.”

The sheriff also spoke to the cadets’ family members, telling them they deserved much credit for the cadets’ success, but reminding them the new officers will sometimes miss important events like birthdays and holidays because of their work.

Garcia introduced Antonio “Tony” Garcia, executive director of the South Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program, who gave the keynote address.

Garcia has served in his current position since 2008 and also served in the Texas Department of Public Safety for 31 years. He held numerous positions with the DPS, including deputy commander of its narcotics service, prior to his retirement in 2007.

Garcia called law enforcement “one of the noblest professions on the planet” and welcomed the cadets to its ranks.

Garcia spoke to the cadets about author Stu Weber’s “four pillars” of a man’s life – illustrated in the archetypes of king, warrior, mentor and friend.

After Garcia’s keynote speech, VVSO Sgt. Michael Cardenas, the sheriff’s office training coordinator, presented the cadets with their basic peace officer certificates, which are awarded when a candidate has met the requirements to serve as a peace officer in Texas and successfully passes the state examination.

Garcia noted the cadets each completed 736 hours of training. She then called each cadet’s name, and each stepped forward and received his or her certificate.

The cadets were also presented with special awards for outstanding performances in different aspects of their training.

Barragan received the award for top shot – pistol and the physical fitness award; Morris received the award for top driver; and Tovar received the award for top shot – shotgun.

Barragan received additional honors as the class valedictorian, earning the highest academic standing in the class; and Morris received additional honors as the class salutatorian, earning the class’ second-highest academic standing.

Barragan and Morris then made brief remarks to the assembly.
Morris told her family members she was committed to making them proud and to her fellow graduates, she said, “The path we have chosen is not an easy one. We have faced many challenges, but through it all, we have developed the skills and resilience needed to serve our communities with integrity. As we embark on our careers in law enforcement, let us remember the dedication and sacrifices we have made, the bonds we have forged, and let us embrace our new roles with courage, knowing we have the power to make a positive difference in the lives of others.”

Barragan also thanked his family and friends, as well as the group’s instructors. He told his fellow graduates, “We made it. But remember, this is not the end of the work. It’s the beginning of the mission. As we move forward, let us carry courage in our hearts, integrity in our actions and the belief that we can and will make a difference. May we serve with honor and sacrifice, with purpose and protect with compassion, and when the call comes, day or night, rain or shine, let the world know this: the Class of 2025 is ready, and we will protect and serve with everything we are.”

Martinez then administered the oath of office to the graduates, and family members and loved ones pinned the sheriff’s office badges to each of the new deputies in turn.

Barragan was pinned by his mother, Margie Barragan, and his girlfriend, Priscilla Gutierrez, and Morris was pinned by her daughter, Sara Sofia Morris. Perez was pinned by his girlfriend, Laura Aguero, and Tovar was pinned by his wife, Sarahi Zuniga Esparza.

Following the pinning ceremony, Garcia told the new deputies, “Wear your badge with pride, humility and honor. You are now part of a profession that demands the very best of you, and we believe you are ready. Congratulations.”

Ortiz gave closing remarks, thanking those attending, and giving special recognition to Garcia and Cardenas and honoring their work with the cadets.

Ortiz also shared with the cadets a portion of a class he had given at Northwestern University discussing an anecdote about the Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton.

Ortiz said of the cadets, “It’s been a pleasure and an honor to watch them grow. . . From this day forward, there will be a lot of firsts for them, like today, the first time they took their oaths of office. There’ll be the first time you put on your uniform to go to work with your partner. There will be the first time you work alone. The first time you make an arrest on your own. Your first accident. Your careers will be a bunch of firsts. Make them all positive firsts.”

The chief deputy also shared an inspirational quote from the Greek philosopher Aristotle:
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Ortiz called on Cardenas and VVSO Lt. James Sunderland Jr. for a “ceremony-within-a-
ceremony,” transferring the newly-minted deputies from the sheriff office’s training
division to its patrol division.

The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com