The first Latina to be sworn in as a major in the Denver Sheriff's Department was sworn in on Friday.
Janelle Orozco, a Denver native, has spent over two decades with the agency, which employs over 1,100 uniformed and nonuniformed personnel.
According to a news release, she progressed from deputy to sergeant to captain and now major.
Following her inauguration, Orozco stated that she is "very thankful" for the chance and looks forward to the future. She stated that when she began working for the department in 2003, she wanted to be a positive role model for her children.
Orozco was most recently the captain of Denver Health's Correctional Care Medical Facility, and he has also worked at the city's Downtown Detention Center and the Denver County Jail.
According to a Pew poll of over 8,000 sworn-in officers performed in 2016, the majority of Hispanic cops feel proud of their profession, while many also express conflicting views about it, including dissatisfaction.