The Glencoe Police Department is bringing in a new captain, Tony Padilla, to help solidify Glencoe as the fifth safest city in Minnesota.
Padilla used to serve in Gaylord as chief of police and worked for the McLeod County Sheriff's Office as a part-time deputy. He also served in the Army, starting out as an infantryman without a high school diploma. Throughout his 24 years of service, he advanced to one of the army’s most prestigous roles — sergeant major —and walked out with a bachelor’s degree in police science.
“That was my first career, and I really loved it,” Padilla said about being in the Army. His second career was galvanized by his police science degree that he acquired in the military. Though a somewhat typical degree amongst law enforcement, he pursued it atypically. Padilla joined the Army on his 17th birthday, before finishing high school.
“Just like everybody else, the military is evolving,” Padilla said about educational opportunities in the army. “It used to be that you didn’t need a diploma to join (the army), but now everybody that joins has to have a high school diploma … and if you want to get to the top, you have to have an education beyond that.”
For more about the Glencoe Police Department's new captain, see the April 11 print edition of The Chronicle.
Links:
[1] http://glencoenews.com/category/byline/jakob-kounkel
[2] http://glencoenews.com/category/section/news