It is National Hispanic Heritage Month! National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to pay tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans that have positively influenced our nation. Faulkner County Sheriff's Office values our relationships with our Hispanic community members, and we are very fortunate to have several employees from Hispanic backgrounds working with us! In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we are pleased to introduce you to Deputy Juan Rivas and his family!

Deputy Rivas was born and raised into a very hardworking family in Conway, Arkansas. Deputy Rivas learned the value of hard work from his family, and he has been working since he was 12 years old. Spanish culture is extremely important to Deputy Rivas and his family. Even though he grew up here, his family ensured Spanish culture was present within his home. Deputy Rivas stated that this allowed him to see the world from two different perspectives. As such, he believes that National Hispanic Heritage Month is important as it allows people to learn about Spanish culture and recognize the immense contributions our Hispanic neighbors bring to our communities. In fact, Deputy Rivas stated that his culture is one of the primary reasons he wanted to work in law enforcement. He stated, "I want to show and encourage other Hispanics that being a law enforcement officer is not a negative thing. Working in law enforcement gives me the chance to translate for community members and to encourage others to pursue the career. Hopefully, it helps build stronger relationships and trust between law enforcement and Hispanic community members."

We are proud to have you as a member of our team, Deputy Rivas!

Happy National Hispanic Heritage Month, Faulkner County!