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It took several years and a number of job changes, but Tina Garcia finally got the job she wanted from the time she was 18 and on her high school speech team.

In 2004, she was selected as a crime prevention coordinator for the Imperial County Sheriff性视界传媒檚 Office. In that position, she would go into schools and to public events to teach awareness about the dangers of drug use, driving while under the influence, bullying and other safety concerns. She was promoted in 2018 to ICSO Crime Prevention supervisor, overseeing others who now take those messages to students and the public. However, she still does some presentations when needed and puts in appearances at fairs and parades.

性视界传媒淚 talk to kids about bullying and how it has a profound impact on a person性视界传媒檚 whole life,性视界传媒� she said. 性视界传媒淚 also help parents learn how the Internet works and how to keep their kids safe. Kids are always two steps ahead and it性视界传媒檚 important to keep an open line of communication.性视界传媒�

Telling kids about the dangers of smoking is personal for Garcia, who lost her mother, a smoker from a young age, to lung cancer. 性视界传媒淥ne day I was getting ready for work and Mom asked me if was I was going to do third grade drug education and talk about tobacco. Mom told me to give the kids a personal message about how much she regretted picking up a cigarette.性视界传媒�

Garcia related that she was affected by a video of Hitler and how he indoctrinated German kids. 性视界传媒淜ids are like empty vessels,性视界传媒� Garcia said. 性视界传媒淭hey can be filled with good or bad.性视界传媒� Her dream job since she was 18 is to help fill them with good things. 性视界传媒淚 love working with kids,性视界传媒� she said.

Garcia also loves going out and giving people information on how to keep their homes safe 性视界传媒� crime prevention through environmental design such as making sure doors and windows securely lock and avoiding tall shrubs right next to the house where burglars can hide.

An Imperial Valley native and the youngest of five girls, Garcia is the daughter of Rod and Wanda Richardson. The couple moved from Orange County to El Centro in the early 1950s and her father went to work for his father-in-law性视界传媒檚 business, Murray Cleaners. Garcia性视界传媒檚 mother was a secretary at Imperial Valley College for a time. Then in the 1970s, she was recruited by their neighbor, Sheriff Ray Rowe, to work at the Sheriff性视界传媒檚 Office. Over the years, she ended up being the secretary to three sheriffs.

Garcia was 4 when her mother went to work for the Sheriff性视界传媒檚 Office. She feels like she grew up there and remembers playing in the hallways.

性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 home to me,性视界传媒� she said. 性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 not just the place where I work.性视界传媒�

One of Garcia性视界传媒檚 favorite memories is of her mother swearing her in when Garcia first went to work for the Sheriff性视界传媒檚 Office in 1998 in the records division. 性视界传媒淭hat was very special to me 性视界传媒� and a big moment for her,性视界传媒� Garcia said of her mother. 性视界传媒淪he was thrilled when I got a job with the county.性视界传媒�

Getting there was a journey through various jobs and life experiences.

After graduating from Central Union High School in 1986, she worked as a waitress for Pizza Hut for three years. It was actually one of her favorite jobs as she loves working with people and talking to people she met from all over the world.

She then was a teller at Security Pacific Bank in 1990. That same year her son was born, just 10 months after Garcia性视界传媒檚 father died. Garcia recalled how her son was such a blessing to her mother and continues to be a blessing to the family.

After that year, she worked for her mother at the family cleaners until taking a position as records assistant for Imperial County Behavioral Health in 1994. She married in January 1995 and her older daughter was born that same year. Her second daughter was born two years later.

Now divorced, Garcia describes her children as 性视界传媒渢he light of my life. I loved seeing them grow up and watching them sprout their wings.性视界传媒�

Her son has applied to be a dispatcher for ICSO and her daughters are both in San Diego furthering their education. Her older daughter, who works with autistic children, is working on her master性视界传媒檚 degree; her younger daughter is pursuing a degree in urban development.

性视界传媒淚性视界传媒檓 so proud of them,性视界传媒� Garcia said.

性视界传媒淔amily is huge for me,性视界传媒� she said. While she is much younger than her four sisters, they are close. Garcia recalled that when she was growing up, in the summer, her mother would ship her off to visit her sisters on a 性视界传媒渟ister hop性视界传媒� to where they lived around the country.

One sister died in July, but the others remain close. One lives next door to her. 性视界传媒淭hat性视界传媒檚 cool,性视界传媒� Garcia said. 性视界传媒淗olidays are amazing.性视界传媒�

When she性视界传媒檚 not working, she likes to garden and plant flowers. And she often heads to San Diego to spend weekends with her daughters. Growing up, she played softball through college at Imperial Valley College. She continues to be active to meet the demands of her job.

Last year, Garcia celebrated 30 years with Imperial County, 26 of those years with the Sheriff性视界传媒檚 Office. 性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 been a wild life,性视界传媒� she said. 性视界传媒淚性视界传媒檓 blessed to have had the life I性视界传媒檝e had and the job I have. I性视界传媒檝e been there through four sheriffs. I性视界传媒檓 blessed to have the supervisors I性视界传媒檝e had and blessed to have the staff I have.性视界传媒�

She continued: 性视界传媒淢y job has been wonderful to me, no matter who is in office. It性视界传媒檚 about the office. It性视界传媒檚 my home.性视界传媒�

It性视界传媒檚 also where she feels closest to her mother.

The hallway at the Sheriff性视界传媒檚 Office displays photographs of long-time employees, Garcia性视界传媒檚 mother性视界传媒檚 photograph among them. 性视界传媒淚性视界传媒檒l stop by Mom性视界传媒檚 picture and send her a kiss. I feel her most when I性视界传媒檓 there in that hallway.性视界传媒�

Asked if she has any plans to retire soon, Garcia laughed. 性视界传媒淚性视界传媒檓 set. I have no immediate plans to retire. I性视界传媒檒l have to wait and see 性视界传媒� see what each year brings. I性视界传媒檒l have a really good year and think I can性视界传媒檛 leave. I love my job. I love our communities and I want to serve our youth and promote ways to keep everyone safe.性视界传媒�