A 26-year veteran of the Fairfax County Police Department, MPO Ray Ordonez is the Sully District Station’s and its Citizens Advisory Committee’s 2013 Officer of the Year.

He was honored as such last Wednesday, March 12, at the station, and every one of his roll-call officers turned out for the ceremony.

“I have great admiration for Ray — he’s a true master police officer,” said Capt. Ed O’Carroll, the station commander. “He’s announced his retirement, but is still out on the front lines.”

Ordonez entered law enforcement in 1987 when he attended the eighth session of the county’s Criminal Justice Academy. During his career, he served 11 years at the Mason District Station, five years at the Fair Oaks District Station and six years in the Major Crimes Division.

During his tenure in the Criminal Investigations Bureau, he was assigned to the Auto Theft, Child Sex Crimes and Fugitive sections. Yet, while doing those jobs and working a full case load, he volunteered to assist the Robbery Section, Financial Crimes Section, and Organized Crime and Narcotics detectives with cases needing a Spanish-speaking detective.

Overall, Ordonez investigated hundreds of cases in the Major Crimes Division, apprehending and helping successfully convict numerous criminals. He was also a polygraph examiner, a crime-prevention officer and a school resource officer. In addition, he worked as a shopping-center officer and a CIS detective and is currently in his fourth year at the Sully District Station, assigned to patrol.

“He leads our younger officers by example, with passion, loyalty and steadfast commitment to excellence,” said O’Carroll. “And he’s trained more than 20 officers at the Mason, Fair Oaks and Sully district stations.”

Ordonez’s supervisor, Sgt. Dan Spital, called him a “highly motivated officer and a true leader.” And, he added, “The officers trained by him were “fortunate to have had such a knowledgeable and experienced officer as their mentor.”

Calling Ordonez’s dedication to the department “unmatched,” Spital said, “After almost three decades as a police officer, MPO Ordonez has not slowed down and continues to work hard every night, proudly serving the community.”

Furthermore, said Spital, Ordonez stands out among other police officers who’ve dedicated themselves to protecting the county’s residents. Said Spital: “[His] diverse career exemplifies the highest levels of professionalism and commitment to the Fairfax County Police Department.”

Citing a particular incident, O’Carroll said while Ordonez was on patrol at 4 a.m., he helped solve a case involving people who were stealing used cooking oil from fast-food restaurants. “He’s not in the right place at the right time by accident,” said O’Carroll. “He patrols and observes, and this arrest was significant because it was tied to several [similar] cases on the East Coast.”

Besides that, said O’Carroll, Ordonez is “always advocating for the younger officers.” Turning toward Ordonez, O’Carroll said, “Ray, it’s been a pleasure working with you. For all that you’ve done, it’s an honor to bestow Officer of the Year on you.”