New officer in school hopes to have a positive impact on the TJ community.
Officer Timothy Cueva settles into his new beat at TJ. photo by Rebecca Holt
It is hard to miss the man in the blue uniform, Timothy Cueva, who has taken the place of last year’s Officer, Bryan Charles (commonly known as “O.C.”) who had been at TJ since 2000. “I’m not here to bust people. Hopefully while I’m here I will be able to make a positive impact on at least one kid,” said Cueva, who expresses repeatedly that he is at TJ to help, and plans to bring an optimistic attitude to fit his genuine approach.
Timothy Cueva was born in San Antonio, Texas but was raised in Aurora, Colorado. He graduated from Aurora Central. “As a kid I always wanted to be a cop. I wanted the interesting and fun lifestyle that the policemen lead.” In between jobs, Cueva took an entry level exam, that was based on general law, to see whether he was eligible to become a police officer. “After you pass one test you get to take another, and then another and a lot more,” Cueva said.
After finally having all the qualifications to become an officer, Cueva worked for the Denver Sheriff’s Department for 11 ½ years. “I was assigned to a county jail, where I worked the maximum security and special management. This is where some of the most dangerous inmates are kept,” said Cueva. During the next four years of his career Cueva worked for the Denver Police Department running the graveyard shift from 9:00 pm to 7:00 am.
After his time on the graveyard shift he joined a District Three Special Unit. For five years, Cueva worked on the S.C.A.T. (Street Crime Attack Team) Unit. The unit included multiple neighborhoods – such as Hampden Heights and Colfax – that were in trouble. The main problems with these neighborhoods were gang violence, narcotics, and prostitution. The unit’s goal was to move towards minimizing neighborhood crime and to create a feeling of security for the neighborhoods. “Being a cop is nothing like the shows C.S.I. and Cops; there are a lot more details than 60 minute arrests and convictions,” Cueva assured.
As soon as the word got around that Officer Charles’ position at TJ had opened, Cueva immediately took steps to getting the job. The decision wasn’t hard to make, knowing that the job would mean he would get to spend more quality time with his wife and three kids. “It was the family-friendly work schedule that really convinced me to go for the change,” Cueva admitted.
Since accepting the job at TJ, Cueva has now taken on the title of High School Resource Officer. One obstacle Cueva is determined to overcome is to clean up the TJ student reputation. “I really wanted to help get rid of the bad reputation for TJ kids; I live in the TJ neighborhood so I thought it was a good way to take ownership in my own community,” said Cueva.
Being an officer has lead Cueva through countless car chases and life and death situations. “There is definitely a risk to wearing the uniform; you have to expect anything and everything. I do really enjoy the job and look forward to it everyday; I try to take out something positive almost everyday,” said Cueva.
One of the Resource Officer’s roles is to help anyone who is in any unsafe position. “You should never feel ‘not cool’ to tell someone if there is some kind of dangerous situation. I would hope that everyone at TJ would be comfortable enough to come to me about a serious problem, or even to tell a teacher they feel comfortable with. It is important to get rid of an isolated problem before it spreads,” said Cueva.
Officer Cueva shared advice after admitting to having his own wild times as a youth: “To be a police officer you have to prepare yourself mentally. It takes a good dose of reality to shift into the right gear. You have to realize what’s important to you. Life’s not just about today, you have to see into the future.”
One might think that working with teenagers everyday and seeing what their lives involve would make it hard for Cueva to trust his own three teenage children. “You have to have an on/off switch between work and home. I have to leave it all at work,” said Cueva, who admitted that even though he leaves his work at work, it gives him a better idea on how to keep an eye on his own teens. “Don’t get me wrong though, they get away with far less things than most teenagers do,” he added.
Cueva’s office is currently located in the health office. His office phone number is 720-423-7109, and department cell phone number is 720-641-2645. He can also be contacted through the main office or security desk.
