Although he is a police officer and not a firefighter, Fabian Navarro doesn’t hesitate to run into burning buildings. Twice in 2009, Navarro ran into burning buildings to evacuate people.
The first time was in March 2009, when he and fellow officers rushed inside a smoking apartment building next door to an auto repair business that was roaring with flames. The officers pounded on doors and led about 20 people, who had been soundly asleep, to safety.
This February, Navarro and others entered a burning Riverside home to try to save a bed-ridden woman. He was treated for smoke inhalation after the attempt.
For this bravery and his all around excellence as a police officer, the 27 year old was named Riverside’s police officer of the year on Saturday.
“He’s an outstanding police officer,” said Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel. “I wish I had 10 officers like him. He’s professional. He’s very aggressive, which is what we want, but aggressive in a tone in which he can still deal with citizens in the business community in a town the caliber of Riverside. Riverside residents and the business community have very high expectations for police services. He meets those expectations and not only does he meet them he exceeds them.”
Navarro enjoys his work and it shows.
“He’s just a pleasure to work around and always has a positive attitude,” Weitzel said.
Growing up in Cicero, Navarro was fascinated by police officers.
“I always looked up to police officers,” Navarro said. “I used to always try to talk to police officers, and I was just very curious about what they did.”
After graduating from Morton East High School in 2000, Navarro enrolled at Morton College and studied law enforcement. After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Navarro joined the Illinois National Guard.
“September 11th shook me up quite a bit,” Navarro said. “I felt an obligation or duty to go.”
While in the National Guard, Navarro rose to the rank of staff sergeant and was deployed to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
“It was overwhelming,” Navarro said. “It was unbelievable, just the destruction and chaos that was going on down there.”
Navarro took the Riverside police exam in 2007 and was ranked was hired that year in October.
He loves the variety of police work.
“You talk to all kinds of people,” Navarro said. “You can talk to a doctor one day and you can talk to a working-class citizen the next day.”
In addition to his work as a patrol officer, Navarro serves as a juvenile officer, which means he is called in whenever a juvenile is arrested. He works with the underage offenders if they are given supervision and community service.
“I try to emphasize that just because they made a bad decision it doesn’t make them a bad person,” Navarro said. “I try to be a friend, someone they can call or talk to at any time.”
Navarro speaks Spanish, a skill that is important as Riverside police deal with an increasing diverse community.
Navarro did not expect to win the award after less than three years on the force.
“I’m very proud that my fellow police officers and co-workers feel that I have actually earned this,” Navarro said. “It’s very humbling. I was kind of surprised.”
Also, at the May 22 ceremony, Mike Quan, a part-time radio dispatcher for the Riverside Police Department, received the Law Enforcement Service award. Quan also works for the Cook County Sherriff’s Office.
“He’s just wonderful around the public,” said Weitzel. “Before the public ever sees the police officers, they either walk in the lobby to talk to the operator or they call them on the phone, so most citizens’ very first contact is with our operators, and he’s a wonderful ambassador for the department.”