When you walk into the big blue doors at Lodi High School, the sense of security and safety coats us all like a warm blanket. This is thanks in big part to our School Security Officer, Officer Castro! He notes his experience thus far as “a positive one.” Not quite knowing what to expect when he first arrived at our humble abode, Officer Castro quickly adjusted to our school. Officer Castro credits this smooth transition to the “amazing Lodi High School staff” and a “connection with the students.” Speaking on the students, Officer Castro says, “Without their trust and understanding my job would be more difficult.”

Officer Castro was a patrolman for 12 years before entering Lodi High School. After his 12 years, he was given the chance to take the School Resource Officer course. After he completed his training he was assigned to Lodi High School as a Juvenile Detective. “I welcomed the position as a new chapter in my career,” said Officer Castro.

Surprisingly, Officer Castro was not always on the force. Before being a member of the Lodi Police Department, he worked as a Director of Finances for several nursing homes. he took care of payroll, accounts, and collections. For a long time though, Officer Castro thought of the idea of becoming a police officer:”There is so much you don’t know prior to becoming a police officer.  After being on the job now for many years I have had good experiences and I have had bad ones.  At the end of the day any police officer hopes to have impacted someones life in a positive way, prevented someone from being hurt, or maybe made life just a little less complicated.”

“He is just a genuinely good guy. I definitely appreciate having him here to watch out for all of us.”
–Troy Ortiz, Lodi High School Senior