by Mary-Kate Roan
Staff Writer
How exactly does a person that went to pharmacy school in Buffalo, N.Y. end up becoming one of the Public Information Officers at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office? It’s simple. Passion.
“I’ve always wanted to (be a police officer),” said Melissa Bujeda. “My parents didn’t approve of it at first, so I went to pharmacy school.”
Originally, Bejuda came to Jacksonville as a pharmacy student. But she never forgot her dream. When she learned of the local police academy through a Jacksonville resident, Bejuda knew that it was her chance to fulfill that dream.
“I did everything that I had to do to get into the academy,” said Bujeda. “And when I was 20-years-old I got in.”
And one of the scariest encounters of the police academy back then for Bujeda was the realization that when she completed the academy she was not guaranteed a job. However, at 21 she was hired.
“I went through another six weeks of training,” said Bujeda. “And then I went to Arlington, which we call Zone Two.”
For three years, Bujeda patrolled the streets of the Arlington area. For Bujeda the streets provided a constant and chilling series of reality checks.
“When you come in for work you never know what you’re going to get into,” said Bujeda. “There were many situations where you didn’t know what you were getting yourself into, like finding a rape victim in the bushes somewhere.”
Employed with the JSO since September 1997, Bujeda took the job of being the new public information officer. But it isn’t without its own challenges.
“I had no knowledge of dealing with the media,” said Bujeda. “That was the toughest part of the job for me.”
With all of the negative things that Bujeda must encounter on a daily basis, she still manages to smile thanks to fellow officers.
“There is a lot of good that officers do around Jacksonville even off duty,” said Bujeda. “They mentor and they volunteer.”
Bujeda loves Jacksonville. With her husband and 6-year-old daughter, the city has become her home. And her favorite thing about it is the people.
“In New York, the pace was a lot faster, so the people were not very friendly,” said Bujeda. “Here, they stop and say hello and are very nice and friendly.”
She also admits that at first she had to work on her own friendliness and hospitality. But the southern charm has certainly rubbed off on the New York native.
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