Leo Vazquez, Officer of the Year

Deputy Leonardo Salcedo Vazquez was born in Los Angeles, California on August 18, 1967. Son of Leonardo and Carmen Vazquez, Leo has two sisters and two brothers. His brothers have been a major influence in his career due to the fact that both brothers work in Law Enforcement in the cities in Oxnard and Los Angeles. One of his sisters is currently a law student and is studying to take the bar. Leo graduated from La Salle High School and attended UC Irvine; he then joined the US Air force, where he became a Clinical Laboratory Specialist, as was his future wife, Barbara. Leo and Barbara have been married for 19 years. They have two children, Briana (18 years old) and Danny (16 years old) all living in the city of Fillmore.

After applying and completing the testing and background process Leo was hired by our department in June 1998 as a Deputy Sheriff Trainee and was assigned to the Ventura County Justice Training Center Basic Academy Class 98-2. He graduated the academy and was assigned to detention services (Main Jail) as a housing security deputy.
For the next two and one half years Leo learned and refined his fundamental skills of dealing with criminals and learning the faces, names, and con games of those he would someday be arresting on the street. On February 2001, Leo was transfer to West County patrol services and was assigned to work in the city of Ojai.

On June ‘04 Leo volunteered to be transferred to the Todd Road jail during Department downsizing, where he again performed housing duties. Deputy Vazquez requested to be transferred to West County patrol services and was assigned to work in Fillmore in Feb ‘06.

While in Fillmore he has been an active member in the community. He has been the liaison for the north Fillmore store front, and the Fillmore citizen patrol. Last year he reactivated Santa Clara Valley Explorer Post #2958. With the aid of his fellow advisors the post has grown to 21 active members and have recently returned from The Chandler Arizona SWAT Competition with a First place trophy.

The most memorable moment in his career was when he pinned the badge on his daughter when she completed the explorer academy.

He always said that he took this position because he wanted to be the keeper of the peace in the community where he decided to raise his family.