Meet Oxnard Police Officer Alvaro Pulido!
Officer Pulido was born in the Camarillo State Hospital and raised in Oxnard since the age of 3. He attended Mar Vista Elementary, Ocean View Jr. High School, and Channel Islands High School. After high school, he attended both Oxnard and Ventura Colleges and obtained an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice and Liberal Studies. He then transferred to California State University Long Beach where he received a B.S. in Criminal Justice.
After college, Alvaro worked in banking as a Personal Banker for 5 years. He also worked different types of sales positions for consumer electronics retail stores in the Oxnard area and I was also once a car salesman for Nissan. In March of 2008, he joined the Oxnard Police Department as a Traffic Services Assistant, but went into the Police Academy as a Police Officer just two months later. According to Alvaro, “I wanted to become a police officer ever since I was a child. Growing up in south Oxnard, I was able to see how easily kids become influenced by other kids to join gangs and use drugs. Some children, unfortunately, do not have positive role models in their lives and I wanted to change that. I didn’t know anyone in law enforcement until I went to college. Growing up, I enjoyed watching “COPS”, “America's Most Wanted”, and investigative shows. I felt I could make a positive impact in my community by understanding our youth and becoming a positive role model. I know what it takes to build a positive relationship with members of this community - especially those living in high-crime neighborhoods. I want people to feel safe in their neighborhoods and for all the children to have the same opportunity I did.”
In his 13+ years as an officer, Alvaro has worked a number of assignments, including: Patrol, Reserve Officer Coordinator, Police Explorer Advisor, Field Training Officer, Motorcycle Officer, Crisis Negotiator, Driving and Motorcycle Instructor, Peer Support Team, Recruitment Team, Bike Team, and he is currently assigned a the School Resource Officer at Pacifica High School.
He says, “All of my assignments have been amazing. I enjoyed working as a Patrol Officer because I was able to interact with the public on a daily basis and respond to different types of calls. Being a Field Training Officer was very rewarding because I had the opportunity to train and mentor new officers. Working in the Traffic Unit as a Motorcycle Officer was rewarding knowing I was making an impact in traffic safety by working enforcement and educating the public during presentations. Being a School Resource Officer has been very gratifying because I have been able to use my resources to help the youth and hopefully deter teens from getting involved in gangs and/or drugs.” His favorite things about this career are: interacting with the public on a daily basis, making a difference in people’s lives, being a positive role model for our youth, and the variety of. Every day is a different story and it does not ever get boring.
On his days off, Alvaro loves traveling, weekend getaways, hiking, mountain biking, going to the gym, going to the beach, spending time with his 9-year-old English Bulldog, watching Netflix, spending time with wife, family, and friends. His favorite hobby is working on his 1965 Ford Mustang, which he has owned for 23 years.
