(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — During National Hispanic Heritage Month, FOX21 recognizes the contributions of Hispanic leaders, businesses, and organizations all throughout Southern Colorado that are making an impact on the community.

Back in January, Sheriff Joseph Roybal was sworn in as not only the 29th Sheriff of El Paso County, but also as the first Hispanic Sheriff in the county.

“First and foremost, being a hometown kid here, serving my community, serving my home, it’s very special to me,” Sheriff Roybal said. “I take pride in being the first Hispanic elected here in El Paso County to the Office of Sheriff. I remember growing up in Stratton Meadows, being the little Mexican kid in that area, taking pride in the opportunities that America gives us.”

The role of Sheriff hits close to home, as Colorado Springs is where Sheriff Roybal grew up, being a graduate of Palmer High School.

Spending 28 years with the Sheriff’s Office, he has served in many roles.

“I wasn’t handed anything. I wasn’t given anything,” Sheriff Roybal said. “I earned every position that I have here in the Sheriff’s Office and I try to spread that message to the youth here in America.”

Over the years, Sheriff Roybal has witnessed firsthand the growth of El Paso County.

“I live in a corporate El Paso County now, but I still believe we have the small town feel with large town amenities and conveniences,” Sheriff Roybal said. “But it’s changing somewhat with the large town crime that I’ve seen and working with the Sheriff’s Office for 28 years, I’ve seen a lot.”

The seal of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is on display when stepping foot inside the building along with photographs of Sheriffs’.

Now in his role as Sheriff, Roybal works to identify areas of high crime and has set several plans in motion in order to best protect the Southern Colorado community.

“I have a goal of intelligence-led policing, targeting those areas that are high crime through statistics and a targeted attack of those areas,” Sheriff Roybal said. “It’s kind of early now, but I have the idea of a fugitive apprehension unit and what I’m thinking about is a prolific offender unit… those people who are out there committing most of the crimes and targeting our families. If we get those people off the streets, we’re going to make a big impact in reducing crime and that’s something that I’m hoping to implement early next year. “

Once a week, Sheriff Roybal can be found at the El Paso County Jail, which is where he first started out in his law enforcement career.

“I make a point to work out of the jail, which is the largest jail in the state of Colorado,” Sheriff Roybal said. “I want my staff to recognize, just like I want the community to recognize, that I am available if there’s concerns they have, if there are things that I am not seeing, if there are things my staff isn’t seeing, I want to be right there on the front lines with my staff.”

Beyond the badge, there have been battles, but it has not stopped Sheriff Roybal.

“By the time I was 21, I had three children already, so the cards were stacked against me,” Sheriff Roybal said. “So it wasn’t easy, but I continued to work hard and continue to fight and reach towards my goal.”

From his early years to the present, the profound influence Sheriff Roybal’s father had on him remains unmistakable.

“I was never going to settle like my parents did and if I was feeling sorry for myself, I remind myself of my dad, who was in pain every moment of every day,” Sheriff Roybal said. “He never called off sick from work. He always kept working hard to provide for us.”

In celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, Sheriff Roybal reflected on remembering one’s roots and celebrating it.

“We all have ancestry,” Sheriff Roybal said. “We all come from somewhere. Let’s be proud of that. Let’s celebrate it no matter where it is.”

Sheriff Roybal looks at the new display inside of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Roybal is approaching his one-year mark of serving the Southern Colorado community, with a clear set of goals he aims to accomplish.

“Transparency is absolutely important to me and I know politicians, elected officials say we need more transparency,” Sheriff Roybal said. “This is just the beginning. I am also working on a dashboard with statistics. We get calls quite often about demographics inside the jail. I want to have a dashboard where people can go and up to the minute, real time, look at the demographics within the jail.”

In serving as a transparent local leader, Sheriff Roybal shared his interactions within the community and reflected on his loving support system by his side.

“You have to make efforts to not only stay in contact with elected officials,” Sheriff Roybal said. “We have meetings quite regularly, but the community is very important to me, that the community sees me out there as their elected Sheriff. They have access to me, so I am out regularly, evenings on the weekends. My wife is a saint. She’s a strong supporter of mine and wherever I am, she’s right there by my side so it makes it a little easier being away from home.”

Sheriff Roybal also addressed his commitment to promote diversity within the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office to promote greater trust within the community.

“I know for myself, growing up in a Hispanic community… quite honestly, we were distrustful of police,” Sheriff Roybal said. “Police came around, we all went into our homes, we didn’t interact with them. We need to change that, and I think it’s long overdue that we do change that. So having people in our office, in my office that represent and look like members of the community, all members of the community is very, very important.”

Once a week, Sheriff Roybal walks the halls inside the El Paso County Jail.

As Sheriff Roybal walks the halls, whether it is in his office or in the jail, he upholds his pledge of protecting El Paso County.

“It’s very special,” Sheriff Roybal said. “It’s an honor that I remind myself every morning when I wake up that it’s a privilege to go out here and serve my home, the place that I grew up, serve the families that are raising their children here… it’s incredible, it feels surreal most of the time.”