Charles City Police welcomes new bilingual officer

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Police Department has hired on Dario Camino as a new bilingual officer.

Camino is coming almost directly from Waldorf College in Forest City, where he majored in criminal justice and had a wrestling scholarship.

“I’ve been wrestling for about 10 years now,” Camino said. “I just started wrestling at a young age, its some sport that I picked up.”

On Monday, June 5 at the Charles City Council meeting, Camino was sworn in by Mayor James Erb.

His first day was May 12, and has been working with Charles City Police officers to get acquainted with his new community.

Originally from San Jose, California, Camino became interested in criminal justice and law enforcement while doing ride alongs with police departments in California and Iowa, he said.

“I like helping people out,” Camino said.

When the police he rode along with would get called out, he’d see them on the ball while on patrol when they would assist their communities, Camino said.

Camino graduated from Waldorf in May 4, and shortly after started at the Charles City Police Department, but he had moved to the Charles City area around March once he got his conditional offer.

He’s been applying for a position as a law enforcement officer for a while, and get lucky with Charles City, Camino said.

“Charles City is a small town, and if I can open up to the community in any way possible and be a positive community member,” Camino said.

Camino will be leaving for the police academy near the end of August.

“Law enforcement is one those careers where nothing is repetitive, you see different stuff everyday,” Camino said. “That’s what I like about the job you never know what to expect.”

He likes how the jobs keeps him on his feet and wouldn’t mind teaching Charles City wrestlers his own techniques.

“Wrestling has taught me a lot of self-determination and has really brought up my ethics and morals,” Camino said. “Wrestling pretty much prepared me for life.”

Coming from San Jose, California, Camino didn’t grow up in the best neighborhood, but wants the people of Charles City to know that he’s made something out himself and is looking forward to helping its residents.