HomeMy WebLinkAboutA Man with Three JobsDOWNTOWN/July 1978 page 3
A man with three jobs
He's barber, cop and soldier rolled iQo one
By Mary Hesalroad
He's many things to
many people.
To some, he is a
popular barber. To uncle
Sam, he is a part-time
soldier. To the uniformed
policeman of Bryan,
Lieutenant Mike Orozco
is a problem-solver and
leader.
Orozco says he has no
trouble handling three
jobs.
"If you enjoy what you
are doing then there
really is no problem."
He is a full-time shift
commander for the
Bryan Police Depart-
ment. Twice a week, on
his days off, he cuts hair
at the Razor's Edge in
Bryan. At least one
weekend a month he
defends the country with
the 420th Engineer
Brigade located in Bryan.
"You need to work
hard while young to make
a place for yourself when
you get older," Orozco
commented. "And I work
hard for my two kids.
Whatever I accumulate
will go for them."
When Orozco started as
a uniformed patrolman 18
years ago he made only
$300 a month - before
deductions. He knew he
needed more money to
support his family.
another person to keep up
with the business."
The Gay Hill native
became interested in
police work while at-
tending a Houston barber
school in 1958.
"I was told that, at the
time, you had to be a
resident of the city for at
least one year to qualify
for the Houston police
department," he said. I
had not been there that
long."
Orozco moved to Bryan
two years later.
He came at the right
time. Brazos bottom
farmers were bringing in
cattle-truck loads of
Braceros, Mexican field
workers, on Saturdays to
spend their pay.
"It was strange to see
them riding up - hun-
dreds of them crammed
into those trucks -
waving and smiling. They
were ready to have a
good time."
Most of the three to four
hundred men that poured
into town could not speak
English.
"The men had no one to
turn to when they needed
help or got into trouble.
There was a need for
someone who could speak
their language."
The Bryan Police
Department needed
bilingual officers to help
control the situation.
Orozco put in his ap-
plication for the job and.
after intensive screening
was accepted.
"Another Spanish-
speaking man tried for
the same job. In fact, he
was the one that got me
interested in the first
place. I don't know why
he didn't get the job."
The background in-
vestigation conducted on
Orozco was thorough.
"They really screened
me carefully. They even
checked up on my
grammar school
grades." He rubbed his
chin thoughtfully. "I
guess I must have met
their qualifications. In
fact, my chief at the time
I was hired said he
couldn't believe I didn't
do something wrong
somewhere. Or it could
be they just didn't catch
me."
He evidently continued
to do things the depart-
ment liked because May
1, 1975 they promoted him
from sergeant to
"You know, when you
get a promotion like that,
you can't help but feel
maybe all that hard work
was worth it!"
Ten to 12 uniformed
patrolmen answer to
Orozco per shift.
"There are three
supervisors. We rotate
shifts. We're here in case
an officer has a question
on policy or needs some
other kind of help and
because someone has to
take the responsibility.
The lieutenant says he
really doesn't feel the
need to go any higher in
his job.
"I'm not bucking for
promotions. I'm very
satisfied where I am,"
Orozco said. "But if the
department ever needs
my experience or
whatever else I can of-
fer..." He shrugs.
Orozco joined the Army
Reserves in 1955 while in
Houston. He got out after
10 years because "it
interfered with my police
duties at the time. We had
to attend more drills per
month than we do now."
He joined the Reserves
again in Bryan in 1976.
"I'm trying to get that
20 year retirement," he
said.
Why does he do all that
he does?
"Pewple. They make
the jobs worth doing.
Thq make it all worth-
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