Published on February 22, 2023
“My fundamental duty is to serve the community…” It’s a line in the police officer code of ethics that one of the Maricopa Police Department’s newest officers says led him on a journey that included enlisting in the United States Marine Corps and serving overseas before returning to his family’s chosen hometown of Maricopa. Officer Oscar Ramirez recently graduated alongside a class of 15 other officers from the Gilbert Regional Police Academy Class 3. The academy hosted recruits from across the valley including Gilbert, Queen Creek, Gila River, and 4 total Maricopa candidates. It is a 22-week program that takes recruits through physical and mental challenges in order to be ready for the job. “I knew from a very young age I wanted to be a police officer, but the problem was I was too young to attend the academy out of high school,” Ramirez says. “So I decided to enlist in the Marine Corps.” He says during that time stationed in Japan as a military police officer, he found a part of himself that was hidden before - his confidence. “I used to be very soft-spoken. Now I know that I can maybe talk a little too fast,” Ramirez jokes. After fulfilling his contract, Ramirez decided it was time to return to Maricopa - a place he had lived since the seventh grade, attending Maricopa Wells Middle School and Maricopa High. He says the transition back to civilian life was challenging, but he never lost sight of his dream to be a police officer. “I’m fresh out of the Marine Corps, it was a little bit hard for me to figure out when, where, and how I can become a police officer,” Officer Ramirez says. “Some of the places were hiring, some places weren't. And then you have to submit your applications. I basically started from ground zero.” While he worked to sort out his path to becoming an officer, Ramirez opted to take a job working as a field technician with the City of Maricopa. And before long, Ramirez said the perfect opportunity opened up with the City - becoming a park ranger. Maricopa Park Rangers are the friendly faces who ensure everyone can enjoy the city’s beautiful parks safely and are tasked with making sure patrons know about and follow the rules. “I got excited to be involved with at least some level of enforcement,” he says. “I got a lot of exposure there working all the events, you know, talking to people and working with others. I came to learn just how kind people in Maricopa are.” Ramirez says as his time with the city grew so did his connection with other employees. Specifically the leaders of the Maricopa Police Department. “They encouraged me to apply, go apply. And I went ahead and applied and one thing led to another,” he says. Ramirez is now paired with a Field Training Officer, learning to apply all the skills he was taught during the academy. He says he’s thankful to have had the support of his family and community along the way. “Officer Ramirez is an example of a hometown success story,” Chief of Police Mark Goodman says. “I would absolutely love to continue to hire people who grew up in Maricopa or the local area. I am also looking for people from throughout the country from all walks of life.” “Diversity is important, and I believe each individual we hire brings skills and perspectives that are valuable to both the department and the community as a whole. Together, we combine these talents, life experiences, and viewpoints to form a team capable of providing a high level of service to our community,” Goodman says.