Women's History Month: How Maria Otero became the first person to go from administrative aide to deputy commissioner at the NYPD

"What she decided to do was join the police department as an auxiliary officer, because she wanted to be a part of the department that could provide safety for her and her young children, Otero recalled. That definitely impacted my siblings and I."

"Crime in the late 80s and early 90s was significantly high, so the vision was to join as a police officer, but then I immediately saw that I could make a difference to the community by making a difference to the officers that serve the comm"

Maria Otero, NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Employee Relations, represents a unique career path within the nation's largest police force. Immigrating from Puerto Rico to Brooklyn at age two, she was inspired by her mother's involvement in the NYPD Auxiliary Program. Otero joined the NYPD in 1992 as a Police Administrative Aide, becoming the first civilian to advance to Deputy Commissioner rank. Her career trajectory demonstrates how civilian support roles can lead to significant leadership positions. Working during a period of historically high crime rates in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Otero focused on making a difference by supporting officers who serve communities, recognizing that strengthening the police force strengthens public safety.

Read at www.amny.com