WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — It all started in the 64th Police Academy. Jaeden Esquibel felt a calling.

“From a young age, I knew that there was a thing called good versus evil,” Esquibel said.

Tragedy struck his family, leaving Esquibel feeling hopeless and like a victim.

“I vowed to myself that I was never going to be a victim, and people that I care about, it wasn’t going to happen to them,” Esquibel said.

And since 2012, the officer has kept the streets of Wichita Falls safe.

“It’s all worth it man,” Esquibel said. “We’ve talked about it before as far as, like, some of the things we’ve had to go through and some of the chaos you’ve been there for as well. At the end of the day, it’s rewarding, you know, to help and make sure our communities are safe.”

As we entered Esquibel’s unit, we quickly got called out.

“Four-one go ahead,” Esquibel responded to dispatch.

“I have a standby that’s been holding,” a dispatcher said.

“We’re just going to go to a standby, so we have to go to Lamar Park,” Esquibel continued. “It says he needs to go to an address somewhere else in the area and pick up some legal documents.”

On the scene, Jaeden assisted an officer in helping a victim grab items needed in a peaceful manner. Esquibel and the other officer scanned the house and entered peacefully.

“I have dealt with him,” he said. “I know what he looks like. That’s half, that’s half of the battle here whenever you’re working.”

The victim was able to get what she needed in a peaceful manner

“The things I’ve done for the department, and they know I’m going to make a fair call and I’m going to do it with a smile on my face,” Esquibel explained. “You know, I try to smile at everyone.”

Growing up on the Eastside, Esquibel recalled his upbringing and how he applies it to his job.

“From my parents, my wela, I was always told ‘Mijo watch what you do and watch how you act in public because there’s somebody out there that knows me and will tell me if you’re out acting a fool,'” Esquibel said.

The officer actively expresses kindness through the community by waving at kids as he patrols.

“That’s like my golden rule,” Esquibel said. “They’re always throwing up the deuces man. So, you know, you always got to say hi. The one time you don’t, you know, could be the make or break whether they’re going to trust you or not.”

He even connects with his community who have shown tremendous support to him and the department.

“6:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.,” Esquibel continued. “And I can’t tell you how many times, like, I got dispatched to like noise complaints or whatever. And I, I’d show up and it’d be like, you know, the corridos playing in the background or whatever. And it was like someone’s fourth birthday. They’d offer me a plate of tacos or whatever and, you know, it was always real respectful. My partner would show up and they would do the same thing for him.”

As Jaeden continues his service to his community, he recommended not to be too shy to say hi. He said he knows it’s a blessing to be here in the community he loves.

“It’s really an honor to be here,” he said. “I consider every day a blessing, to tell you the truth.”