Photos by Juan Carlo / Star staff Officer Alex Rangel, with wife Teresa, said he was honored and humbled to be Police Officer of the Year. honors.Department. Oxnard 04/24/08: Juan Carlo / Star staff: Senior Officer Alex Rangel with the Oxnard Police Department gets a hug from his wife Teresa Rangel after being nominated police officer of the year. The Kiwanis Club of Oxnard nominated him at the 40th Annual Police of the Year Luncheon at the Courtyard by Marriott

Alex Rangel wasn't looking for any more rewards, having found more than enough satisfaction in helping others during his 15 years as a police officer in Oxnard.

Rangel said he was honored and humbled Thursday when he was named Oxnard's 2007 Police Officer of the Year during a lunch-hour ceremony.

"At the end of the day, what matters most is the ability to inspire others to do their best," said Rangel, his voice choked with emotion as he stood inside a crowded dining room at an Oxnard hotel and thanked his wife, Teresa, the community and the Oxnard Police Department for their support.

Rangel, 44, is the 40th Oxnard police officer to receive the award, which is given annually by the department and the Kiwanis Club of Oxnard.

He said he felt especially honored since he was competing with other equally qualified officers for the award.

The three other Oxnard officers nominated this year were Victor Boswell, Steven M. Ramirez II and Robin Whitney. "They could just as easily have received the award," Rangel said.

A Ventura native, Rangel became a police Explorer for the city of Fillmore in 1979. He later went to work for the Santa Paula Police Department. All the while, he dreamed of one day working in what was then a troubled part of Oxnard.

He finally got that chance in 1994, when he began working out of a police storefront in the city's La Colonia neighborhood.

Rangel remembers the deep suspicion about police among many La Colonia residents when he first arrived. He said many residents felt police officers were there only to write tickets and issue citations and cared little for the community.

"In the beginning, it was difficult to change that perception," he said.

But Rangel said police largely won the support of those in La Colonia by reaching out to residents, listening to their needs and addressing their concerns.

A lot of Rangel's work involves compassion for others, plus a good dose of common sense. It also helps that he speaks Spanish and understands the needs of the Latino community.

"You need to be cross-culturally trained so that you understand the inner workings of the community and the organization that you're working for," he said.

Police Chief John Crombach said Rangel is dedicated "and always willing to help." Crombach read a statement from Paul Cumming, a police sergeant in Oxnard, recalling how he once found Rangel "spending an entire day at the storefront with a peace officer candidate who was failing the training academy."

Cumming said the trainee reached out to Rangel for help. "This is just one example of how Alex continues to be a positive role model for this agency and is tireless in his dedication and duty," said Crombach, reading from Cumming's statement.

Other officers receiving awards Thursday included Edward Baldwin, who earned a Medal of Merit for pulling a man out of the cab of a burning truck and saving his life.