RIO COMMUNITIES—Jose Rodriguez was sworn in last week as the Rio Communities Police Department’s first officer.
Rio Communities Mayor Joshua Ramsell, right, presents Jose Rodriguez, the first Rio Communities Police Department officer, his badge at the Nov. 29 special council meeting. (Clara Garcia | News-Bulletin photo)
“This is a great day for the Rio Communities Police Department and for the city of Rio Communities,” said RCPD Chief Felix Nunez about hiring Rodriguez as the city’s first police officer. “I was asked to build a police department and that’s what I did.”
Nunez not only hired Rodriguez, but also Emma Sanchez as the department’s administrative assistant, who has a degree in criminal justice.
“This was no easy task, especially to find individuals who could come into our department and hit the ground running,” the police chief said, “but they did.”
Sanchez began working for the RCPD about 10 weeks ago, and Nunez said she has been great for the department, saying she’s caught on quick and has been learning a lot.
“She goes beyond any expectation, and she always surprises me,” Nunez said. “She gives 110 percent to the department and to the city.”
The police chief said Rodriguez has already completed his field training and is now out on the streets by himself.
“He is our first officer for this community, and he is someone who will always be our first hire,” Nunez said. “He’s going to start the trend.”
Nunez said he’s excited to see the new department unfold, and is elated to see how far they can take the department, already calling the staff “family.”
Clara Garcia is the editor and publisher of the Valencia County News-Bulletin.
She is a native of the city of Belen, beginning her journalism career at the News-Bulletin in 1998 as the crime and courts reporter. During her time at the paper, Clara has won numerous awards for her writing, photography and typography and design both from the National Newspaper Association and the New Mexico Press Association.
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April 25, 2024
