NEWS — Seven graduate from sheriff’s office academy

By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times

Seven new deputies have joined the ranks of the Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office, following their graduation from the sheriff’s office academy, marked by a ceremony at the San Felipe Del Rio CISD Student Performance Center on Friday.

The new deputies are Mark A. Arredondo II, Rogelio Avila, Nataniel Martinez, Victoria L. Meza, Fernando F. Ortiz Jr., Isaac C. Treviño and Victor H. Zapata Jr.

VVSO Lt. James Sunderland, who served as master of ceremonies, opened the graduation ceremony by welcoming family members, friends, local dignitaries and elected officials, then introducing VVSO Chief Deputy Enrique Treviño, who offered the invocation.

Sunderland next introduced Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez, who recognized the dignitaries and elected officials who attended, including San Felipe Del Rio CISD Superintendent Dr. Carlos Rios, Linda Guanajuato Webb, an elected member of the San Felipe Del Rio CISD board of trustees; Assistant District Attorney Daniel Esquivel, Justice of the Peace Pct. 2 Randel Dissler, Justice of the Peace Pct. 4 Hilda Lopez, Constable Pct. 3 Michael Wancho, District Clerk JoAnn Cervantes, County Attorney David Martinez and County Court-At-Law Judge Sergio Gonzalez.

Martinez also welcomed Del Rio Police Department Assistant Chief Robert Guzman, DRPD Capt. Valentin Martinez, DRPD Capt. Hubert Smith, Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Zach Springer, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Capt. Angel Miller and TPWD wardens Isaac Ruiz and Allie Springer, Joey Cervantes of the Southwest Texas College Law Enforcement Academy, San Felipe Del Rio CISD PD Lt. Sergio Mendoza, Donnie Fernandez, investigator for the county attorney’s office; as well as members of the U.S. Border Patrol.

Martinez thanked the family members and friends of the graduating cadets for their support over the past six months while the cadets went through the academy and said that support would continue to be vital as the seven embarked on their law enforcement careers.

The sheriff told the cadets, “When your loved one pins that badge on your chest today, remember you are accepting a huge responsibility like none other and that is service to our citizens. You will be stepping into the lives of the people you serve on their worst days, when fear, crisis and chaos have taken over, and you are the calm in the storm.”

“A burden of trust is placed on you today, and the public will look to you, not only to enforce the law, but to do it fairly, with integrity and with the utmost respect for human dignity. Whether you are on duty or off duty, your actions will define what it means to serve,” Martinez added.

He urged the cadets to read and take to heart the words and spirit of the law enforcement code of ethics, which he noted hangs on a wall at the sheriff’s office. He said each cadet had also received a copy of the code.

After the sheriff spoke, the cadets led the audience in reciting the pledges of allegiance to the U.S. and Texas flags.

Sunderland then introduced retired Col. Andrew Katz, who most recently served as the vice commander of the 47th Flying Training Wing at Laughlin Air Force Base.

Katz, a command pilot with a combined total of 3,500 flying hours in various aircraft, lauded the cadets for choosing a life of service, reminding them that gaining the public trust will be key as they settle into their roles, but cautioning them that “trust is something that is hard to earn and easy to lose.”

Katz urged the cadets to remember the acronym “CPR – connect, protect and respect.”

He said the cadets had received six months of focused training in law, ethics, communication, crisis intervention, investigations, emergency response, firearms and de-escalation.

“But the public will never meet your syllabus. They will meet you. Behind every block of instruction is one central question: when one person’s safety, freedom, dignity or life depends on your judgment, who will you be? I want you to think about that,” Katz told the cadets.

Katz went through the CPR acronym he had mentioned earlier, giving valuable advice and lessons for each of the three words represented by the letters.

He said, “The real test comes when someone is angry, afraid, intoxicated, confused, disrespectful or having the worst day of their life. In those moments, you control the tone. They will remember you if you listened, if you remained professional, if you treated them as a person instead of a problem.”

He told them, “Real loyalty honors the public, the profession, your team and the oath you are about to take. You will face moments when no supervisor is watching. You will face moments when no instructor is grading you. You will have moments when no camera appears to be recording. Those moments define your character. Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.”

Katz also urged the cadets to remember and to honor the people who have stood beside them and made it possible for them to do the work they have chosen, their parents, their spouses, their children, members of their extended families and close friends.

Following Katz’s address, Sunderland invited class valedictorian Nataniel Martinez, then class salutatorian Mark A. Arredondo II, to speak to the audience.

After Martinez and Arredondo spoke, VVSO Sgt. Michael Cardenas presented each of the cadets in turn with certificates of completion of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement 736-hour basic peace officer course, denoting their successful completion of the state certification test.

Cardenas also presented certificates of special achievement to Martinez as class valedictorian for holding the highest academic average for the duration of the academy, Arredondo as class salutatorian for excellent academic performance and as the top shot for the highest score in rifle qualification, Meza as the top shot for the highest score in pistol qualification and Zapata as the top in physical improvement and as the top driver of the class.

The cadets next participated in the time-honored tradition of having their brand-new badges pinned to their uniforms by a family member.

Following the pinning ceremony, Sheriff Martinez administered the oath of office to the graduating cadets.

After the oath-taking ceremony, VVSO Chief Deputy Gina Garcia offered the benediction.

The ceremony ended with each of the cadets donning the cowboy hat that will be part of their uniform, and Sunderland announced, “Deputies, I hereby transfer command of you to your next assigned divisions,” and Cardenas formally dismissed them to clapping, cheers and whistles from the audience.

The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com