HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Police Department will swear in three new officers during a ceremony Friday morning. Yaniralis Rosario, Dalton Leonard and Stephan Jackson will become official members of the police force at 11 a.m. at the law enforcement center.
Rosario, who goes by Yaya, is originally from Chicago but was raised in Puerto Rico. She came to Kansas on a softball scholarship at Sterling College and graduated with a B.S in criminal justice.
She came across HPD due to the PSA program. She says that after a couple of months of being a part of the PSA program, she wanted to be a part of the Hutchinson Police Department family. She says her goal as a Latina officer is to help those people who don't speak English to trust the police officer and ask for help when they need it and ask questions when they are confused. She says she’s here to help those in need, stop crime, make an impact on the community, and gain the trust of the community.
Leonard was born and raised in Danville, Indiana and is currently pursuing an associate degree in Criminal Justice.
After high school he enlisted into the United States Army as a 19K, M1 Armor Crewman. He was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas completing one rotation to South Korea. He served just under four years in the and is now enlisted into the Kansas Army National Guard.
He says he joined the Hutchinson Police Department to continue to serve the community. He says that even though he’s not from Hutchinson, he says the city made him feel like home for his family.
Stephan Jackson has a little more local ties to the community as he was born in Hutchinson. He graduated from Hutchinson High School in 2017.
He says he got his first little taste of law enforcement when he started working for the Kansas Department of Corrections at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility. He says he applied to HPD because he wanted to do more for the community.
He says he has seen firsthand the good that HPD does for the community, without asking for anything in return. He added that he wants to be able to pay that kindness back and make Hutchinson an even better place for someone to call home.
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