Hempstead PD promotes first-ever Hispanic American sergeant 

For the first time in its nearly 150-year history, the Hempstead Police Department has promoted one of their own — from the Hispanic community — to the rank of sergeant.

Mark Perez, 37, who was born and raised in the village, was promoted Friday from community police officer to sergeant after nine years on the force. 

"It means a lot to the community, especially now that they have someone, not only who they can relate to but also to talk to since I speak Spanish," Perez said before his swearing-in ceremony at police headquarters in Hempstead, which was held during Hispanic Heritage Month. "Now, when they have a question, they can come talk to me about anything in the community."

The department has been criticized in the past for a dearth of Spanish-speaking officers on the force.

While Hempstead's population, according to the 2020 Census, is about 45% Hispanic, only 7.6% of the 118-member uniformed police force — four men and five women in total — are of Hispanic descent, according to department statistics.

Nearly 62% of the department's uniformed staff — 72 members in total — are white, even as Caucasians make up only 5% of Hempstead's population, figures show.

Meanwhile, 46% of Hempstead's population is Black, compared to only 28% — 33 members — of its police force, department data shows.

Assistant Police Chief Derek Warner said there was no specific reason why the department had not previously seen a Hispanic sergeant.

"It takes a lot of hard work and effort to reach the rank of sergeant," Warner said. "But Sergeant Perez made it and did very well on his exams and now he's here to help represent the department and assist the community … It just takes quite a bit of dedication, a lot of studying. And you have to have that internal drive to push yourself to make it to that point in your life and in your career."

The department has said in the past that the biggest barrier in growing the number of Hispanics on the force is getting more Latinos to take the police exam.

While Perez made history Friday, he's not the first sergeant in his own household. 

That distinction belongs to his wife, Lilly Perez, a sergeant in the Nassau County Police Department, who pinned the new shield on her husband Friday.

"There's a friendly competitiveness," Lilly Perez said of their relationship as she sat in the audience with the couple's two young children. "We try to move each other forward. … But he's making history today and we couldn't be prouder."

In addition to Perez, three other members of the department were promoted Friday: Det. Daniel Larkin to sergeant; Sgt. Gregory Fagan to lieutenant and Lt. Edward Deutsch to deputy chief.

Village Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. told the four new supervisors that just as they look out for their rank-and-file officers, they're also "accountable to the residents of the Village of Hempstead that they have been sworn to protect and serve."

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.