El Paso, Texas (KTSM)– Denby “Donica” Pedregon is the first woman in El Paso Independent School District Police Department to be promoted to sergeant in 2021, and now she has been promoted to lieutenant.
Pedregon said that in the department’s 35 years of existence, there has only been 17 female officers, and of those 17 she has seen many come and go.
Pedregon was born and raised in El Paso, she said she has always chosen jobs that are male dominated.
Pedregon is a 15-year veteran of law enforcement and army combat veteran, she said she fulfilled various roles while in the army, but her true passion lies in serving the community of El Paso.
“I love helping people, I love helping mentor students and employees; Especially when working with kids, it’s very rewarding,” said Pedregon.
She shared her thoughts on the growth of EPISD Police Department and what that means for both the district and the city.
“We want to increase our police force, and with that we can grow the department and expand other positions… have detectives, traffic people, more supervisory roles in the future,” Pedregon said.
Pedregon said it is an honor to have reached her ranking despite the obstacles she has faced.
“Years ago, I was told that I would never move up in this department. It has not been easy, I have had struggles, but I plan to stay and move forward and change things for the better, for not just women in law enforcement, but for female students and everybody,” Pedregon said.
Photo by Anthony Pina – KTSM
Read: Read More