Officer Valdez Retires After 12 Years As EPCHS School Resource Officer

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — Growing up in various communities around the south suburbs, for years the first thing that came to mind when someone mentioned Evergreen Park to Luciano Valdez was the old movie theater at The Plaza.

“I knew of Evergreen Park. I would go to The Plaza to see movies. But really, I didn’t know too much about this community,” he said.

But little did Valdez know in his younger years that he would one day become a beloved member of the Evergreen Park community. He’s been among the most visible, vital members of the Village as the School Resource Officer at Evergreen Park Community High School for the past 12 years.

Now, after a dozen years at the school and a quarter-century as an Evergreen Park police officer, Valdez is heading into a well-deserved retirement.

As cherished as his contributions to the Evergreen Park community have been, his service to our country dates back even further. Valdez is a U.S. Marine Corps war veteran, totaling seven-and-a-half years in the service including a tour during Operation Desert Storm from 1990-1991.

When he returned from the Marines in 1997, Valdez was determined to enter the law enforcement profession. He earned a two-year criminal justice degree from Moraine Valley Community College and worked at the Joliet Correctional Center, the site now known as the Old Joliet Prison, for a little over a year before applying for police officer positions at various south Chicagoland municipalities.

When the Village of Evergreen Park reviewed Valdez’ resume - the combination of his written exam, physical fitness and a variety of other factors - he became their No. 1 choice during the 2000 hiring cycle.

“I went for maybe 12 different departments, and Evergreen was the last one,” Valdez remembers. “And that’s where I ended up number one on their list. I attribute that to perseverance and never giving up, something I learned in the Marine Corps. Don’t ever give up until you reach that goal.”

Still, becoming a School Resource Officer wasn’t something on Valdez’ mind during his first few years with the Evergreen Park Police Department, where from 2000-2013 he served as a patrol officer, evidence technician, range instructor, and on the undercover tactical unit among other roles.

“When I got here, I actually thought I would eventually be a D.A.R.E. officer, which is mostly going to junior high schools and telling kids to say no to drugs,” Valdez said. “Having young kids at the time, I was interested in working with kids in some way instead of being on the streets.”

So Valdez completed the training academy required to become a D.A.R.E. officer. But upon his return to the department, his bosses at the EPPD had informed him of the impending retirement of Officer Phil Rizzo, who had been Evergreen Park Community High School’s School Resource Officer for many years.

“They told me Officer Rizzo was retiring and if I would like to take the position,” Valdez remembers. “I said, absolutely.”

School Resource officers not only have the duty to protect students every day, but also serve as a liaison between the school and police department. Valdez has gone above and beyond in the role, often presenting in classrooms about topics like rules of the road or how to best handle a situation when pulled over by a police officer.

“I’ve been lucky to have been with this school district,” Valdez said. “The superintendents and principals have all welcomed a School Resource Officer here, and the parents have thanked me often. Living in the community myself, it has been extra rewarding.”

Valdez’ service to EPCHS and the Evergreen Park community has gone far beyond school hours. He has been a fixture at after school sporting events working security, and has been responsible for scheduling and ensuring every event at the school has a security presence.

“Ensuring safety at the school was always the number one priority for me," Valdez said. “But also to be an additional resource for the kids. Knowing they could come to me if they were having issues at home, I fit right into that role.”

All the while doubling as an EPCHS parent, having sent four children to the school.

Now, in retirement, Valdez looks forward to spending more time with family and traveling more often.

“I’ll be able to plan road trips with family to National Parks and experience Disney for the first time,” he said. “I can start catching up on things I missed out on when I was younger and working so many different shifts.”