St. Pete is celebrated for its fabulous weather, beautiful vistas, world-class food scene, and thriving cultural atmosphere but the people of St. Pete truly make this city something special. In appreciation, each month Green Bench shines a light on one of the many people that make St. Pete unique. This month we are celebrating Luis Martinez and his contributions to the community as a St. Petersburg Police Department (SPPD) Community Service Officer (CSO).
Inspirations and Mentors
As a CSO, Martinez is a community liaison, with the ultimate goal of enhancing citizen safety and quality of life. Speaking with him, the role seems a natural fit, but his path from the Texas town of McAllen to the SPPD might never have happened without some inspirational help. As a young child, he witnessed a police officer assist his mother courageously remove herself and her four children from a problematic relationship. After relocating to Florida for a safer life, his mother and three sisters continued to provide positive female role models that proved vital in his formation. Graduating high school early, with plans only to find a paying job, he began work as a minimum-wage dietary aide. Fortunately, his supervisor saw his potential and pushed him to think about “what he wanted to do with his life.” Remembering his own childhood, he offhandedly replied, “I would be a police officer.” Not letting him ignore his own instincts, she signed him up for police academy testing and even helped pay some of his training expenses. Sixteen years later, Martinez is thankful for the people who provided guidance and inspiration. “I feel called to do this,” he says.
Additional training
Martinez has actively pursued the education and training necessary to be the best community servant he can be. Over the past decade, while working full time, he has earned two associate degrees and is working on a bachelor’s degree in criminology at the University of South Florida. He is certified as a Crime Prevention Practitioner by the Florida Crime Prevention Training Institute (FCPTI). Launched by the Office of the Attorney General in 1982, the FCPTI is designed for crime prevention and community-oriented police officers. In 2018, after a successful 13-year tenure with the Palmetto Police Department (PPD), he decided it was time to shift his path. He made the choice to forgo his rank as a PPD Sergeant and join the SPPD as an officer because of the department’s “progressive vision.” Impressed by its embrace of wider multiculturalism, transparency, and commitment to community relations, he saw a future for the kind of public servant he aspired to be. He appreciates the opportunity to provide a “human face” for the SPPD, especially for young people. He also has high hopes for the Community Assistance and Life Liaison (CALL) pilot program.
Looking to the Future
Not every day goes as planned and the job can have frustrations, but as he heads home to his wife (and middle-school sweetheart!) and two children, Martinez is confident he is where he is supposed to be. He doesn’t know what the future may hold, but right now he’s happy to continue making a difference in the community as a CSO.
