John Echevarria still remembers the moment public service first became real to him.
He was just a child at a career day in San Bernardino when police officers, a dispatcher and a police canine arrived for a demonstration. What stayed with him was not only the uniform or the dog, but the way the officers carried themselves and spoke about serving the communities where they lived.
“I was very inspired by the professionalism of the officers and the dispatcher that came to our school that day,” Echevarria said. “I learned that most officers live within the city they serve. A lot of them give back to the community where they grew up and they’re proud of that.”…