Full Notification

 
At an awards ceremony hosted by the Anti-Defamation League on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, at the Skirball Cultural Center, Deputy Marino Gonzalez was fittingly recognized for his role in bringing a community closer, not only to each other, but to law enforcement.  His outstanding work of sowing seeds of sincere words and earnest deeds grew into a sequoia-sized feeling of public trust.
 
For his efforts, Deputy Gonzalez was presented with the Anti-Defamation League Helene and Joseph Sherwood Prize.
 
The Sherwood Prize was created in 1996 by Joe and Helene Sherwood, founders of family owned and operated Daniel's Jewelers, to recognize those in the law enforcement community who go above and beyond their job descriptions in combating extremism, bigotry, and hatred.
 
The Helene and Joseph Sherwood Family Prize recognizes law enforcement officers, units, agencies or programs which:
 
• Demonstrated an outstanding commitment to combating extremism, bigotry and            hatred by performing acts outside the normal scope of duties
 
• Made an impact on victims of hate crimes or bias-motivated incidents
 
• Provided opportunities for education to reduce hate crimes and bias-motivated   activity
 
• Used innovative approaches to enforce or prosecute hate crime laws
 
• Made a significant difference in their community and served as a role model for their agency
 
In 2015, Deputy Gonzalez was assigned to East Los Angeles Station as the service area deputy for the city of Cudahy.  Having served four years in the United States Navy during Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, and with 23 years of service in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, he was an experienced leader and clearly understood the importance of his assignment.  Deputy Gonzalez took the role as community liaison to heart and demonstrated his deep commitment daily. While handling day-to-day special problems and addressing quality of life issues, Deputy Gonzalez comported himself in the most professional manner; his genuine concern for the residents in his proverbial care shone through, and offered approachability and availability.
 
Deputy Gonzalez was the sole deputy dedicated to the city, and as part of his community-oriented policing principles, he ensured his presence at community events, public celebration events, and public safety and city council meetings.  During holiday season, Deputy Gonzalez had a food basket giveaway for Thanksgiving and made sure local, deserving kids received something memorable at Christmas.
 
The dedicated veteran was closely involved with the schools, and participated in numerous book readings and career days throughout the year.  He interacted with the children just as kindly as a father would, and became so endeared by teaching staff, they were on a first-name basis.  Deputy Gonzalez also established an excellent working relationship with the city code enforcement officer with whom he often paired-up to tackle some of quality of life issues in the city.
 
Prior to Deputy Gonzalez’s assignment, the city had no history or involvement in neighborhood crime watch programs.  To remedy this, he took several steps to create another layer of local awareness and positive interaction with law enforcement, and coordinated the city’s Neighborhood Watch and Business Watch programs.  Deputy Gonzalez reached out to community members to establish meeting locations, then personally went door-to-door to introduce himself and promote the program.  To ensure its success, he educated residents living in a city largely populated by immigrants how to contact local law enforcement to report crimes, and assured them not to fear deportation when reporting criminal activity.
 
Deputy Gonzalez took the time to craft relationships during his tenure in Cudahy and put in the work to build a solid rapport.  His proven commitment, display of compassion and genuine concern for public safety earned him the peoples’ trust, and his efforts created interest throughout the community.
 
Since being selected to receive the prestigious award, Deputy Gonzalez promoted and is now known as Sergeant Marino Gonzalez.  He was assigned to East Los Angeles Station for 18 years and, although his assignment changed, the Cudahy community still has the tools Marino gave them to build a better, safer and more harmonious city, and the memory of someone who earnestly cared for all the things that mattered to them.
 
 
Prepared by:
Deputy Lillian Peck
Sheriff’s Information Bureau
211 West Temple Street,
Los Angeles, CA  90012
213-229-1850
 
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Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department