By Steve Plunkett
Highland Beach’s police force has taken a cosmopolitan turn in recent months.
The latest hires are Jon Alvarez, who was born in the Dominican Republic, and Tatsuaki Hayashi, a native of Japan.
“We’re building a great, diverse little department and team, and I’m proud of them,’’ Chief Craig Hartmann said as he introduced Alvarez to town commissioners in November.
Alvarez and Hayashi graduated from the police academy at Palm Beach State College in October 2009. Both worked as reserve officers in Tequesta. Alvarez also worked for the Riviera Beach force and did security at The Breakers resort in Palm Beach.
Alvarez had met Mayor Jim Newill and his wife the weekend before while on bike patrol.
“It just about shocked me to see one of our officers on a bicycle again,’’ Newill said. ‘’I was very happy to see that.’’
Hartmann introduced Hayashi, 21, to town commissioners shortly after he hired him this summer.
“We call him T,’’ Hartmann said after calling him Tat-sua-SKI instead of Tat-sua-KI. “He won’t be offended if you call him T.”
“I’m just happy to be here, be able to serve the citizens of Highland Beach. And I will do my best to serve and protect,’’ the rookie said.
Hayashi, who also speaks Japanese, has a third-degree black belt in tae kwon do and is working on a black belt in karate.
He was born in a Tokyo suburb and came to the United States with his parents and two sisters in 1995. He attended Florida State University but left to go to the police academy, Hartmann said.
“He’s excited. He goes out, he does a lot of hard work, he’s constantly out there running radar and trying to keep the community safe,’’ Hartmann said. “We’re looking forward to a lot of good things.’’
Besides the chief, the Police Department has a lieutenant, four sergeants and eight officers. A 15th position is frozen because of budgetary restraints.
The officers and sergeants work 12-hour shifts. At any time, Highland Beach is patrolled by two officers and one sergeant, Town Manager Dale S. Sugerman said.
“So if somebody asks you, ‘Why do we have so many police officers in this town?’ the answer is, actually we’re at minimum staffing, three per shift,” Sugerman said. “There are not extra police officers roaming around
doing nothing.’’ Ú
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