Officer Ivan Pena
Officer Pena is a patrolman with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. He was named Police Officer of the month for February, not for any one act, but for many things done well.

The following are a few examples of Officer Pena's unique contribution to community policing:

First, during the winter of 2004, Hispanics were being terrorized, and in some cases murdered, by a group of robbers. It became apparent Hispanics were targeted because the language barrier gave the robbers more opportunity to avoid arrest. Officer Pena, who is fluent in Spanish, quickly established a rapport with the victims and opened up lines of communication, which ultimately helped lead to the arrest to some of the robbers.

A second example occurred in February 2005, when there was a period of civil unrest between the Hispanic and Black communities at a local apartment complex. Certain arrests were made, leading to a sense of distrust between the Hispanic community and police. Officer Pena met with the Hispanic community, listened to their concerns, and established trust between the Hispanic and Black communities and the police. This resulted in a successful community meeting with police, and also a twenty-eight page pamphlet, written in both English and Spanish, which Officer Pena co-authored.

Thirdly, Officer Pena, who is also a 12 year United States Marine Corps veteran, has been a member of the JSO Honor Guard for nine years. As such, he has participated in hundreds of funerals, parades and ceremonies. Furthermore, he is a co-trainer of the unit, has written substantial revisions to the Honor Guard's drill manual, and was instrumental in leading the Honor Guard to high rankings in national competitions.

All of these examples demonstrate Officer Pena's strong character and dedication to the Sheriff's office and the community. He is, in the words of his superior officer, "one of the most dedicated officers in this Agency. He does countless things for the Agency and community without requesting anything in return."

Because of his many outstanding efforts, and for his excellent service to the community, we are proud to honor Officer Pena as Police Officer of the Month.

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