Officer Edwin Almanzar is proof that the paths you plan in life, and the ones you actually take, can be very different and yet end at the same destination.
Officer Almanzar, the subject of this week’s Blue Honor Series, originally wanted to be a teacher. After growing up in the Dominican Republic, moving to the United States during his formative years, and graduating from Sleepy Hollow High School
in Tarrytown, New York, life eventually led him to South Florida and Broward College.
He started taking classes to fulfill his goal of becoming a teacher when he also felt a calling to serve. He has half a dozen family members in the United States military. One of his brothers and three of his cousins are in law enforcement. Officer
Almanzar’s path at that time reached a fork where one way led to teaching and the other to being a police officer. He chose the path to law enforcement.
He joined the Coconut Creek Police Department in 2007. He has been a member of the agency’s Honor Guard for more than a decade. He was a Patrol Officer and then the course of his career led him to an opportunity to fulfill part of his dream
of mentoring children. Since 2011, he has been one of the School Resource Officers at Coconut Creek High School. Every year since then, at least one graduate has credited him with keeping them on the right direction to receiving a diploma. He
gets to experience what it’s like to be a teacher through his role as an advisor to our Police Explorers. He helped guide the team to a Third Place finish at last summer’s state competition—the best in the history of the program.
When not at work, he enjoys spending time with his wife of 18 years and coaching his two young sons in baseball and other sports. Officer Almanzar is proud of the path his life has taken, especially since it led him here to Coconut Creek.