Local deputies from the El Paso County Sheriff's Office left their badges at the bookshelf's side as they sat down with the young minds at Fabens Elementary School during the Read Across America event this past week. In a showcasing of lighter uniforms, they read stories out loud to kids ranging from pre-K through 5th grade, turning pages to highlight the joys of reading and education. According to El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugarte, the event aimed to promote literacy and cement a sense of friendship between kids and law enforcement.
Striving to build bridges in the community, the deputies in their storytelling role, worked to show a softer side of law enforcement. They took on the mantle of educator and mentor, demonstrating to students that deputies can be as approachable as they are protectors. Sheriff Ugarte, in a narrative absent the often-seen formalities, exclaimed, "young learners [can] see law enforcement in a friendly and supportive role," suggesting deputies are more than their uniforms and duties, one side of the Sheriff's objectives, with the other being to foster trust.
The Fabens Elementary event comes as part of a broader push by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office to engage with the community, especially its youngest members. These events serve not solely as PR exercises but as genuine attempts to sew together the fabric of trust and education within the community. They are concerted initiatives to open doors to dialogues between families, children, and those sworn to protect and serve.
