A new deputy in town

Patricia Gonzales is the new deputy marshal in the town of Hanna. She has been on the job since the beginning of summer.

"I was born and raised in Louisiana, but I call Texas home," Gonzales said.

She said that in school she wanted to be a meteorologist, so she studied math and science extensively. When Gonzales graduated high school, she immediately went into the army.

"I was one of the few females in field artillery," Gonzales said. "I hung out with ground pounders and infantry guys a lot, because I couldn't be assigned to an infantry unit, but I could be attached. We provided the weather data."

She said this was perfect training for her.

Gonzales left the military and went to college to study meteorology. While she was studying at Oklahoma University she met her husband. They moved to Colorado and she studied at Northern Colorado.

Her husband and Gonzales parted, but she stayed in Colorado and got a job as a detention officer in Morgan County Sheriffs Office.

"Law enforcement sort of chose me," Gonzales said. "I couldn't go into the meteorological field without a degree and after doing it for a month, I realized this is what I was supposed to do.

This was at the end of 2006.

She changed her degree to criminal justice. Gonzales graduated and left Morgan County law enforcement to work at the Weld County jail. She worked at Weld County jail for seven years and got a second degree in Environmental Sciences.

She had thought she would be a game warden, but as she found herself working in the jails, Gonzales knew being a game warden was not the career she wanted.

"It was eye opening as I worked there," Gonzales said. "Gangs rule a lot in your correctional environment. You cannot mix some gang members in cells together. Tensions build up."

Gonzales went through the police academy in Colorado in 2014 and became a parole officer. She supervised sex offenders, security threat groups (gang bangers) and homeless. Her area was downtown Denver. She said it has some bad areas.

"I saw some deplorable conditions," Gonzales said. "And it is actually getting worse as rents rise in Denver. It was a real eye opener to see where we put people to live in out of jail."

She said it was a tough job, but it was an excellent experience on how to deal with different personalities.

"My correctional experience has opened a world to me that I didn't have prior," Gonzales said. "Before I would not really go up to people and talk to them, but now I do that with no problem. Parole made me even stronger in this aspect."

She said it helped her deal with residents of different communities.

"My communications skills have improved dramatically due to what law enforcement has exposed me to, so I am grateful," Gonzales said. "Then in 2018, I took a part time job as a court bailiff in AdamsCounty because I needed a break from parole. While I was doing this, I came up to Carbon County to look at some property and, by chance I saw that Hanna was looking for a deputy."

Gonzales applied and got the job.

"I think I got lucky and have come to Hanna at a good time," Gonzales said. "The wind projects may be changing the dynamics of the county, but I really wanted to be in a place where I know the locals personally. I wanted to be in a place that had a slower pace of life than what I saw in Colorado."

She has been very pleased to live in Hanna.

"I love this place," Gonzales said. "Being up here and actually see stars, is what I have been looking for a number of years. It is getting back to more of how I was raised."

She gives her correctional background credit for making her able to do the job of deputy.

"Hands down, I wouldn't be able to do this job to the best of my abilities if I had not had that correctional background," Gonzales said. "To be an effective patrol officer, you need to be the effective correctional officer, hands down."

Gonzales said she was grateful to Mayor Lois Buchanan and Marshal Jeff Neimark for giving her the opportunity to be the deputy.

"I want the community to know I am very approachable," Gonzales said. "I want people to not think twice about talking to me if they have any concerns or just say hi."