CT Hispanic Watch: Marisol Rodríguez (Police Officer, Puerto Rico)

Marisol Rodríguez poses for a photo in her office of the Hartford Police Department’s Southwest District.|Credit: Reynaldo Cruz Diaz

EN Meet Lieutenant Marisol Rodríguez-Vélez, with 17 years in the force, who serves as Commander of the Hartford Police Department’s Southwest District and is a 21-year member of the Air Force National Guard. Proud of her Puerto Rican heritage, Marisol, who has also been deployed overseas, gives great importance to community work, and her approach has made her a respected and beloved officer.

SP Conozcan a la Teniente Marisol Rodríguez-Vélez, con 17 años en la fuerza, quien funge como Comandante del Distrito Sudoeste Perteneciente al Departamento de Policía de Hartford y lleva 21 años como miembro de la Guardia Nacional de la Fuerza Aérea. Orgullosa de sus raíces puertorriqueñas, Marisol, quien también ha sido desplegada en el extranjero, da gran importancia al trabajo en la comunidad, y su acercamiento la ha convertido en una oficial respetada y querida.

I met Marisol while I was taking photos in Café Semilla, located in Hartford. She approached me first, asking me if I was Cuban (the flag on my hat gave me away) and we spoke for a few minutes.

We exchanged phone numbers and it was when she was leaving that I realized she was a police officer. A week later, we met for a coffee and she inquired a lot about life in Cuba. We ended up having coffee another time and have stayed in touch since.

After finding out she had been promoted, I reached out to her to photograph her for this project. Then, I visited her in the substation and after a long talk, we took some photos.

One of her best attributes is her charisma, her personality and her sense of justice. The police force is privileged to have her.