Riverbank Police Services (RPS) has a new Community Service Officer (CSO), Ana Davalos, that people may have already seen or met around town. Although Davalos has only been with RPS since March she has participated and helped organize several community events.
“Growing up I always wanted to do something where I could help others and give back to the community,” said Davalos. “I have gone through multiple jobs. Every job I have had has been helping others. When I moved back to my hometown in Modesto, I applied to the Sheriff’s Department and kind of wanted to see where things go.”
The single mom of three has always wanted to have a career that involved the youth and community and as the new CSO, she gets to do just that. Davalos has assisted in organizing the Junior Police Academy with Deputy Xiong and has been a part of the Coffee with a Cop events.
She has also assisted in organizing the Kids Health and Safety Fair and Bicycle Rodeo for Wednesday, July 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., to be held at the Plaza del Rio Park on Third Street across from City Hall. The upcoming Aug. 2 National Night Out is another community event that she is working on.
Part of the CSO position is event planning, community outreach, answering calls for service, crime scene logs, and various other duties.
“Every day I am learning something new,” added Davalos. “I really enjoy what I do. I am getting exposed to so much and it has been a great learning experience for me. One of my biggest goals, wherever I end up next, is just gaining all that knowledge and experience here as my foundation and then building on it every day.”
Davalos has been through the police academy and the background process, which led her to a position at the jail for 10 weeks. When she did not pass the field training program, she was moved over to CSO. The failed program has not set Davalos back but, rather, has propelled her into a new chapter that she explained is more fitting.
“One of the things I really enjoy is working with our youth,” stated Davalos. “I don’t know if that is a teaching thing because I worked with kids for like 10 years in schools. I worked with autistic and special needs children. I have been around kids a lot. I feel like God put me here for a reason because he knew that it was going to bring me back to that in some way. So, like the Junior Police Academy and the kid’s events that we do. I would not have been able to do that working in the jail. I am here for a reason. I really do enjoy that part of my job.”
Eventually, Davalos has plans on becoming a deputy and possibly a detective but she believes it is God’s timing so for now she will settle in as the CSO and get to know the Riverbank community. She did not know much about Riverbank initially, she said, but in a short time has become familiar with the streets, parks, and the people.
“My job is to bring out the positive things we do in law enforcement and kind of bring our community together,” remarked Davalos. “Our youth should be able to look up to us as role models and an inspiration. That is my goal in working for the Sheriff’s Department; is to shine the light on law enforcement and be a positive role model to all youth.”
Being the newbie, Davalos expressed that everyone has been extremely helpful and welcoming at RPS.
She said, “They have been awesome. There has not been one person that has not been willing to help me. The detectives have been so great about answering all my questions. Plus working with the Chief. You see how awesome he is. I keep getting blessed. It has been so nice. I can’t complain. It has been really good.”
