“This type of work is not for everyone,” advises Sergeant Rick Hernandez. “If you’re doing it for community service, that’s the right attitude. Trust your instincts. But if you’re in it for fast times, forget it.” The words may sound tough, but for veteran Sergeant Hernandez, it’s the key to his job. During his years as a School Resource Deputy at a high school of more than 3,000 students, Sergeant Hernandez initiated groundbreaking safety programs that are still in full force today.

Sergeant Hernandez recalls his worst experience on the job was when a student was killed by a drunk driver during one of the schools’ big anti-drug and anti-alcohol drives. Experiencing the trauma that this well-liked student’s tragic death caused the school and community underscored to Sergeant Hernandez the need for continuous education about the dangers of impaired driving.

He initiated “Prom Promise,” a safety promotion sponsored by the insurance industry that seeks to keep kids from drinking and driving.

He also started the first “High School Crime Stoppers” program, in which students voluntarily share information about illegal activities in school.

“You have to work within the community and show them that you’re there to help them and keep them safe,” Sergeant Hernandez states. “This job is ultimately about people and relationships. You need the community and the community needs you, to achieve the goals of public safety.”