DEL NORTE— The Del Norte Police Department welcomed a new officer to their troop on March 17, and she is the first female officer to join the department in several years.

Police Chief Bobbi Fresquez was eager to announce the new hire, adding to the depleted force that serves the community. In recent years, the department has had to contend with low budgets and a high turnover rate after having to fire some of their deputies or lose them to better opportunities outside of the Valley.

Cassandra Sahagun spent most of her life in the military after graduating high school from Fountain, Colo. and joining the US Navy at the age of 17. Sahagun was a structural aircraft mechanic for the Navy for six years working on helicopters and other aircrafts in places all over the world. “I have been to a lot of places, but always wanted to be stationed in Japan or Greece. Never got the chance, but it would have been really neat to see,” said Sahagun.

After her six years with the Navy, a change in lifestyle caused Sahagun to move to the Valley to be closer to her parents. Her father, South Fork Police Chief Don McDonald was one of the reasons she decided to join the academy and become a police officer. “I grew up accustom to the lifestyle and after spending six years in a structured life in the military, I wanted to go for something that would give me the same type of environment. My dad wasn’t for it in the beginning, but he came around and helped me get through the academy,” said Sahagun.

After her release from the Navy and moving to the area, Sahagun spent the next eight months in an accelerated law enforcement program at Otero Junior College in La Junta, Colo. and graduated in November of last year. “My dad wanted me to join the force in South Fork, but I wanted to be on my own and after some debate, he agreed and I came here to Del Norte,” laughed Sahagun.

Sahagun joined the Del Norte Police Department on March 17 and is so far, fitting in quite nicely. Fresquez stated that they are happy to have her on board. “So far she is doing really well and showing initiative which is what we need for this community. She attended the last Neighborhood Watch meeting and was welcomed by the community, which was great. We needed an officer that was going to stay and not get the training and then leave, so we are happy to have her,” said Fresquez.

Sahagun plans to focus her attention on the community and spend her time helping to educate the people around Del Norte to continue to help themselves. “We have to have eyes out there in the neighborhoods in order to do our job well and I plan to focus on helping the community watch program grow. We can educate the community to do things that will help decrease crime in their neighborhoods by doing simple things around their homes like putting in inexpensive motion lights outside. I love talking to people and want to become a part of the community,” said Sahagun.

Though Sahagun has only been on the job for a week, she recognizes that her career will be nothing more than a learning process. “I look forward to continuing to serve the community and learn as I go.”