Latino police officer gets youth-outreach award

Seattle Police Officer Adrian Diaz, known throughout the department for his youth-outreach efforts, is to receive the city's 2008 Latino Heritage Award tonight.

Mayor Greg Nickels and Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske are to present Diaz, 33, with the award during the Latino Heritage Celebration at the Seattle Aquarium.

Diaz, who is married and has an 18-month-old son, said he was surprised and didn't even know he had been nominated.

"There's a lot of people that do a lot of good work," Diaz said. "I was like, really? Me?"

During his 11 years as a Seattle police officer, Diaz has organized and participated in a host of community-focused programs, including sports events with youth through the police-activity league, several gang-prevention programs, the mayor's youth-violence-prevention initiative and the police department's youth-internship program.

Diaz is education chairman of the King County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the police department's community liaison for its Latino Advisory Council and an assistant wrestling coach at Chief Sealth High School.

"I just have a passion for a lot of these kids; so for me it's not busy, it's more enjoying what I do," Diaz said.

Noelene Clark: 206-464-2321 or nclark@seattletimes.com