Across the nation, many observe Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, which involves celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of individuals whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. What began as only a Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968, was enacted into law in 1988. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) shares the spotlight on one of its employees during this month of recognition.
Though he is forever proud of his Hispanic roots, Gene De Los Santos will let you know that he is a Christian and an American first.
De Los Santos began his initial employment as a general training instructor in 2015 at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) Artesia, New Mexico Training Delivery Point, which led De Los Santos to his present position as a Law Enforcement Specialist-Senior Instructor in the investigations area of the General Training Branch – Basic.
Ever watch any of the ‘CSI’ television broadcasts? One could then possibly relate to some of what his teachings focus around.
“I teach a number of classes, especially those which relate to investigative crime scene cases,” De Los Santos said. “Students get to learn the basic principles of fingerprinting, photographing, and understanding those things which might be overlooked at an incident.”
In addition to basic instruction in crime scenes, De Los Santos provides instruction for persons heading out for an overseas assignment, which may include Department of Defense civilians, military personnel, Secret Service members, Federal Air Marshals and other relevant persons from across the nation, so that they can know the basics in protecting themselves and while in their respective areas of responsibility.
Before his current position at FLETC, De Los Santos dedicated 20 years of service as a police detective to the City of Artesia. While working there, he gained his interest in blood stain patterns, and became a sought-after analyst in the field.
De los Santos also gives credit to the military along his journey. “Some of my proudest moments come from serving in the U.S. Army as a 19-Delta, or Cavalry Scout. That career took me to Fort Knox, Kentucky; West Germany with the 3rd Armored Division; and Colorado Springs, Colorado with the 4th Infantry Division.”
When it comes to his family, the Roswell, New Mexico native talks about his family with pride.
De los Santos (which means ‘of the Saints’) states that he and his wife Debra, also a former police officer, have been married for 23 years, and they have a 10-year-old son, Samuel.
Family is very important to the joyful and spiritually rich couple.
“My parents, Gene, Sr. and Gina, raised my brother, David, and sister, Stephanie, and me in a loving, wonderful, Christian home,” De Los Santos said. “After serving in the U.S. Army, my father also worked for the police department in Roswell and was later elected as a magistrate judge and is now a preacher there.”
Law enforcement work continues with his brother who currently works for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). His sister has opted out of carrying on the tradition.
Childhood memories are close to his heart. “We are all still close,” he said. “As a child the holidays brought everyone together to my parents’ home where we just had great times. I think as many as 35-40 people would be there and we would eat the traditional dishes which included pozole and tamales. But it wasn’t just about the food…it was the love and happiness and respect we had for each other.”
“We are all Americans and should stop being divided,” De Los Santos continued. “We need to get back to the scriptural message of loving our neighbors as we love ourselves and realize what an honor it is to live in America.”
De los Santos’ message to FLETC reflects upon one left by Abraham Lincoln in quoting the Bible in Matthew 12:25: “Lincoln said, ‘a house divided against itself cannot stand’, and I firmly believe that holds true to this day. We just have to find a way to put the ‘house’ back together.”
| Date Taken: | 10.14.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 10.15.2021 11:15 |
| Story ID: | 407326 |
| Location: | GLYNCO, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | ARTESIA, NEW MEXICO, US |
| Web Views: | 117 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, FLETC Focus: Hispanic Heritage Month with Gene De Los Santos, by Jennifer Scales, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
