New Resource Officer Paez reaffirms need for IDs

Photo+by+Noe+Pineda.

Photo by Noe Pineda.

With the departure of Officer Gabriela Soto from FUHS, the Fullerton Police Department has sent Officer Jose Paez to become our new School Resource Officer.

“I wanted a profession where I knew I can help people. A profession with something new everyday and something that I know will keep me very excited on my toes and that’s when I knew law enforcement was the career for me.”

Paez was an Indian from the graduating class of 2007 and decided that he wanted to become a Student Resource officer in order to repay the school he loved.

“When I became a police officer at Fullerton my first career goal was to make a position as the school resource officer and to give back to the school that I graduated from so I have a lot of passion for this school because of my Indian for life reputation.”

Officer Paez in uniform. Photo Noe Pineda

Paez has been an officer with the Fullerton PD for five years since 2011 after graduating from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Academy.

“I love the campus. It’s beautiful, we have great staff members. We have a lot of great administrators. I think everybody helps each other out and it’s one of the schools with the most history. So it’s fun to be the School Resource Officer here,” Paez said about our campus and staff.

The push by the administration for students to wear their ids has been a hotly debated topic among students and teachers. Despite the repeated lock-down drills and enforced school, there is still student resistance on wearing their ids.

“The biggest thing is that we need to be able to id who’s a student and who’s a staff member. For example when something big happens and more police come to show up it’s going to be easier for myself and my partners to identify who belongs on campus and who doesn’t so it’s very vital for us to assure that students wear them for their safety and also so that law enforcement can be able to id who’s who,” said Paez.

 Paez takes extra precautions for safety when looking after the school and its students.

“I always gotta make sure that all students are wearing their ids. I gotta make sure that nobody that’s not suppose to be here steps foot on campus. I’m always walking around, I’m always contacting people making sure that they are my students and making sure they get in the classroom or wherever they need to be.”