The Sedona Police Department honored Detective Aldo Ortega with the Officer of the Year award last week.
“It’s been thus far one of my greatest honors. I pride myself on achieving my own American dream,” Ortega said. “And then this just was like a little icing on the top. It just made everything worth it, all the sacrifices made, even down to my parents.”
Ortega was hired by SPD in August 2015.
After six months in the academy, he spent time in the gang task force unit before moving to patrol and eventually to the investigations unit where he has been a detective since 2020.
As a first-generation American, Ortega attributes much of his success and achievements to the sacrifices made by his parents.
By the time Ortega was in high school down in the Phoenix area, he knew he wanted to be in law enforcement.
“When I was younger, there were a couple of different things [that made me want to be a cop]. And I had good role models too,” Ortega said. “But when I was 18, I’d drive by the juvenile prison in Pinnacle Peak all the time …. I remember just walking up to the gate one time to see what it was about. And the lady at the sally port area says, ‘Are you here to see somebody?’ And I said, ‘No, I’m just here to see what you guys are about. I’m interested, maybe ….’
“So that’s how I started in law enforcement.”
After working for a year at the Arizona Juvenile Corrections prison facility off Pinnacle Peak Road in Phoenix, Ortega left to work at the state hospital for two years before moving to the Sedona area.
Although Ortega’s law enforcement career began in a juvenile prison, he still believes that the hardest part of his job is understanding and dealing with situations involving children.
“I think the most challenging part [of the job] are the kid cases just because they don’t have a voice,” Ortega said. “So you’re there as their advocate to stand up for them and do what’s right for them. It’s tough seeing kids in pain or seeing them trying to figure out how to tell you what went wrong …. But what keeps me going is knowing that they require somebody to stand up for them, and I enjoy being that person.”
Like many of his coworkers, Ortega’s career progression has shown him many different aspects of the job, but it is his current position as a detective that has so far been his favorite. After becoming a detective, he has traveled for investigations as well as additional training opportunities that his other position did not provide.
“There’s a variety of crimes that I’m dealing with, and it’s definitely a roller coaster because there are times when it’s slow, but then all of a sudden I get a case that just falls into my lap and I can be anywhere throughout the state to investigate these crimes,” Ortega said. “It’s been a blessing.”
Each year SPD awards Officer of the Year based on peer nominations and administration approval.
Others from the department were honored as well, such as Rookie of the Year, Professional Staff Member of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Explorer of the Year and MADD DUI Officer of the Year.
The awardees were presented by SPD Chief Charles Husted on March 14 and announced in the Sedona Red Rock News in the March 18 edition.
“Detective Ortega stood out and is being recognized for consistently going above and beyond for crime victims and their families through his diligent investigations,” Husted said. “Additionally, Det. Ortega has demonstrated commitment and passion for mentoring our local youth through the Police Explorer Program. He routinely models a big heart for others in his selfless service to our community.”
