Deputy Police Chief James Rodriguez discusses his career and recent promotion during an interview in his office July 23 at the Los Alamos County Police Department. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com
When asked what has been the highlight of his 20 plus years in law enforcement, newly promoted Los Alamos Deputy Chief of Police James Rodriguez replied, “This is. Getting to this position is the honor of my career.”
The biggest challenge? “The calls that involve youth with injuries in our community … I have four reasons why … my four kids,” Deputy Chief Rodriguez said. “On these calls your heart goes out to the parents.”
Born in Loving, N.M., about 12 miles south of Carlsbad, where he grew up before entering college in 2001 at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash.
“I spent a semester there before returning to New Mexico to work as a corrections officer at the Dona Ana County Detention Center,” Rodriguez said. “In February of 2004 I was accepted into the 35th Las Cruces Police Academy. What really grabbed my attention and got me interested in law enforcement was a program we had in high school in which we shadowed adults in their jobs. I shadowed a police officer in Carlsbad and thought this is something I’d be really interested in doing.”
Rodriguez excelled in the academy earning the “Best in Defense Tactics” award and “Top Gun” for most accurate and best shooter.
Deputy Chief Rodriguez first arrived in Los Alamos nearly 19 years ago as a trailing spouse. His wife Darlene accepted a position with the Department of Energy here in October 2005, so he accepted a lateral position as a patrol officer with almost two years on the job at the Las Cruces Police Department to a patrol officer at the Los Alamos Police Department.
In 2013, he went back to college at UNM’s Anderson School Of Management where he graduated in December 2020 with a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration with a focus on management.
He progressed through the ranks at LAPD from patrol officer to corporal, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant, commander and now deputy chief of police with 32 officers under his command. He replaces Oliver Morris who retired in early July.
“James brings a broad range of experience and expertise to the position and I look forward to James’ contributions to the Department in our ongoing service to the community,” Chief of Police Dino Sgambellone said.
Fire Chief Troy Hughes welcomed the promotion of Deputy Chief Rodriguez.
“Congratulations to our new LAPD deputy chief. James is highly respected by all who have worked with him throughout his long career,” Chief Hughes said. “I am excited to have Chief Rodriguez as part of the LA first responder community.”
Los Alamos Public Schools Superintendent Jennifer Guy said, “Congratulations to Deputy Chief Rodriguez. He will be an asset to our community in this role. I look forward to having opportunities to collaborate with him.”
Deputy Chief Rodriguez said that even with the change in upper management the goals and objectives for the community don’t change.
“The forefront of our mission is community policing and we are here not only for the adults but for the children … and it’s not one person but the department as a whole together with the community that makes us great,” he said.
Deputy Chief Rodriguez said he loves living in Los Alamos and raising his family here.
“It’s hard to believe but our son James is now 21 and will be a senior this fall at Texas Tech University where he studies construction engineering,” he said. “Dailynn is 20 and will be a junior this fall at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces majoring in business. Danalysa is 17 and will be a senior at Los Alamos High School and Danae is 13 and entering the eighth grade at Los Alamos Middle School.”
LAPD will host a formal swearing-in ceremony for Deputy Chief Rodriguez at 1 p.m., Aug. 9 in the Los Alamos Magistrate Court. Members of the community are invited to attend.
