The Sunnyvale Sun

Cover Story

Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer

Det. Jose Ramirez spars with Misael Godinez, a Fremont High School student and 2006 Golden Gloves finalist.

Gang Cop

Detective combines boxing talents with reaching kids

By JASON GOLDMAN-HALL

Sunnyvale detective Jose Ramirez likes to say he's getting old. He claims to be aching and hurting like an old man, but the 32-year-old, in top shape after 10 months of hard training, can still lead workouts for young boxers half his age and trade blows in a boxing ring with opponents as a top-ranked boxer in the Police Olympics.

But after 14 years of boxing and 2 1/2 years of coaching boxing for Sunnyvale youth with the Columbia Middle School boxing program, Ramirez says it's time to hang up his gloves, unwrap his hands and focus full-time on his role as a father of one, with another on the way--and mentor to dozens of others.

In April of 2004, Ramirez, several other boxing coaches and staff from Columbia Middle School began the boxing program to offer an after-school activity to students at risk of getting into criminal or gang activities. Using $17,000 worth of boxing equipment from Advanced Micro Devices, he began training students to focus their energy on improving themselves, and the program took off.

Today, there are more than 250 registered participants, including new amateur-level boxers.

On May 9, Ramirez was honored by a committee of his peers in the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety as the "Officer of the Year" for his work in and outside of the ring.

"The program has a positive impact for not only the community but for us as a police department," said deputy chief in charge of special operations Dayton Pang. "Jose clearly rose to the top, not only for his work with a lot of high-profile Sunnyvale cases, but for his work with the community and his support of these kids."

When he accepted the award, in front of a packed chamber of family, friends and other residents, Ramirez looked shy and reserved, a far cry from the confident leader and boxer he is to many Sunnyvale youth.

Colorful history

Before he was a DPS detective and mentor, Ramirez said he was like many of his athletes. He grew up in East Side San Jose, and says he got into a lot of trouble and fights as a young man.

When he was 18 he decided to focus his energy constructively, and began boxing in local Police Athletics League programs. He has tried to model his own program after them.

In his first fight at 18, Ramirez affectionately remembers "getting my ass handed to me," and he knew he would have to work harder if he was going to succeed.

That mindset has been with him ever since.

After graduating from Independence High School in 1991, he went to San Jose State University, graduating in 1995 with a degree in criminal justice.

"I told myself I wanted to make a difference if I was given the chance," he said.

From 1995 to 1997, Ramirez worked as a counselor in a juvenile detention facility, and it was there he began to think about trying to catch young offenders early and prevent them from getting involved in crime.

Sunnyvale's Department of Public Safety hired him in 1997; he is now the only detective who specializes in gang-related crimes and investigations.

Through the department, he was also able to continue his boxing career, and won the gold medal at the 2001 Police Olympics. After training for that event and realizing how much boxing had helped him as a young man, he decided to pass those lessons on.

"For us as police officers, we have to think outside the box. We need to come up with different programs to get kids committed and get them off the streets. If we just keep doing the same thing, we're just going to get the same results," Ramirez said.

No gang colors allowed

He began recruiting students he knew had gang ties. No one in the gym is allowed to wear red or blue--the colors of the major gangs in Sunnyvale--and no posturing or threatening is allowed.

"Those are the kids I want, the ones I want to get into the program," he said

Many times, rival gang members are forced to train with each other, and they begin to see each other, in new ways. In addition, Ramirez said he and the coaches become positive male role models to young men and women who may not have them at home.

Many Sunnyvale public safety officers participate in the program, either as active boxers or coaches or as mentors. Ramirez said that interaction has helped him rid students of their negative images of law enforcement personnel.

"Jose is a good officer and one that is really connected with kids, and I'm really proud of him for going above and beyond his normal workday to improve the lives of kids," said Don Johnson, Department of Public Safety director.

Today, Ramirez spends three hours a day every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the gym. When he first started the program, he had to go to work early, take a break to coach and then finish his duties. Today, he said the success of the program has allowed him to incorporate coaching as part of his daily work, to make it more manageable.

"The program has a positive impact for not only the community but for us as a police department," Pang said. "Jose clearly rose to the top, not only for his work with a lot of high profile Sunnyvale cases, but for his work with the community and his support of these kids."

Bad grades, no boxing

Because Ramirez makes students keep up their grades to box, he has given many students an incentive to stay in school and study. He has already had one boxer, Misael Godinez, go on to amateur boxing circuits and hopes to get many more along the same path.

But nowhere is the change more evident than in 18-year-old, 165-pound Raphael Torres, who has lost 110 pounds by training with Ramirez. Torres--instantly recognizable in the gym in his sweatshirt with the hood pulled over his head--said it was Ramirez being hard on him and pushing him along that motivated him to lose the weight and get himself in shape, physically and mentally.

But beyond the visible physical changes, Ramirez said he looks forward to 10 years from now when the lessons in discipline and respect he hopes he has taught can make his athletes into quality men and women.

He said he thinks the program has helped cut down on crime in Sunnyvale, if only because the hours from 3 to 6 p.m.--when his athletes are in the gym--are typically those where most young people get into trouble.

And just as Ramirez's love of boxing gave birth to his work with training youth, all the training soon rekindled the competitive flame in his heart.

Hanging up his gloves

Ten months ago, Ramirez began training alongside his boxers and coaches for the 2006 Police Olympics. After 10 months, he traveled to San Diego for the competition, his first in five years.

Although he won his first match, he aggravated a torn muscle in his right bicep, and was forced to sit out the championship round, going home with the silver medal instead of the gold he was after.

Regardless of the outcome, Ramirez said it was all worth it.

"I missed that energy before you fight," he said. "That experience is something that I'll take with me for the rest of my life."

Ramirez now says his role is outside the ropes. He said his biggest priority today is his wife Arlene--who he said supported him 100 percent in his return to competitive boxing--and his son. Their second son will be born soon.

"I'm too old for this game. I'll leave it to the young guys," the 32-year old said. "Win or lose, that fight was my last one."