Corporal J.P. Montoya, a member of the Arlington County, Virginia, police department since 2018, will become that organization’s first Latino liaison police officer, according to deputy chief Wayne Vincent, who oversees the department’s community policing project.
With 15.6% of Arlington’s population identifying as Hispanic or Latino, Vincent said that the decision would help bridge a gap with underrepresented Arlington communities.
“Corporal Montoya is a dedicated community policing officer who has demonstrated experience conducting outreach and building relationships with the Latino community in Arlington,” Vincent said in a statement.
The position is one of many steps Arlington’s police department said it’s taking toward building relationships with the community.
In his new role, Montoya is expected to develop educational programs on local and state laws, including constitutional rights, and other safety improvement partnerships.
Andres Tobar, president of the Arlington County Crime Solvers, said that he looked forward to working with Montoya.
“I believe this position is an example of our police department building trust in the Latino community,” he said.
Corporal Montoya joined Arlington County’s police department in Jan. 2018 after working as a D.C. police officer and completing multiple deployments to Afghanistan.
He was awarded a Purple Heart medal following a combat injury, eventually transitioning to Arlington’s force and was promoted to the rank of corporal in July 2021.
