BPD flag raised in honor of law enforcement

At the start of Law Enforcement Appreciation Month, a contingent of officers gathered Monday morning at the Brownsville Convention & Visitors Bureau to raise the Brownsville Police Department flag to honor the policing profession.

“In law enforcement especially, it’s a calling,” Lt. Matt Jones said, speaking on behalf of Chief Felix Sauceda and the department.

“In most cases, where you’re working and patrolling you know the people who live there. We know the areas, we know the culture, what is right and what is wrong. To be able to serve other people and to give your life for somebody that you don’t even know is a higher calling,” Jones said, referencing the military and others in law enforcement as making a similar commitment.

“We live amongst you, we serve with you. You may not know it at the time, but we’re here with you. We’re proud to serve the city of Brownsville. We’re proud of what we do. We put on our uniforms every morning and come to work, and it’s with that service intent that we do what we do, and we do it proudly and willingly,” he said.

District 3 Brownsville City Commissioner Roy De los Santos organized the ceremony in what he said was an effort both to honor officers who have fallen in the line of duty, and to “show our respect for the men and women who wear the uniform and protect us.”

Sgt. David De Leon expressed appreciation for the effort.

“We here in Brownsville are honored to have a great relationship with our community and this is one acknowledgement of that,” he said. “We have a lot of support from our city officials, and from the community in general.”

Referring to officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, De Leon said their families should know “that they are supported, that they are loved and that they are remembered. It’s nothing easy to do, it’s a very stressful job … so in any way that we can, we’re glad to honor their sacrifice, we’re glad to do that,” he said.

Sgt. Cecilia Valdez also said she liked the ceremony.

“It’s very touching, and I love that we are being honored,” she said. “I love to serve the city of Brownsville. I am very happy to be here and I will continue to serve our community to the best of my ability.”