TAMPA, Fla. — Polk County is the fastest growing county in the state of Florida, according to the United Community Needs Assessment.

Its Hispanic population is also one of the largest that continues to grow, and it's one reason the Polk County Sheriff’s Office is looking to hire more bilingual officers.

According to Sheriff Grady Judd, the office is looking for all types of officers, but their main goal is to recruit Spanish speaking officers.

“If someone is not bilingual and they speak only Spanish, then we have to bring a deputy in or another law enforcement officer, or sometimes a neighbor, in to translate until we can get a deputy there," he said.

Judd said county commissioners are supporting his department's recruitment efforts by providing the office with funds to help recruit up to 100 officers by next summer.

Odalys Hurtado is a bilingual deputy in Polk County.

“We work 12-hour shifts, sometimes it can go over because some calls for service take a little bit longer," she said of her workday.

Despite the long shifts, she says it’s a job she loves, and she does it in a community where she grew up. Hurtado said she enjoys helping people and getting to participate in local events.

She recalled one specific event during the Christmas holiday.

“It was so nice to just interact with the community so that they can see a different side of us," she said.

It’s a side she strives to showcase every day while on the job. As someone who speaks both English and Spanish, Hurtado says it has helped her gain the community's trust wherever she goes.

“It’s so important, because a lot of people don’t want to talk because they feel threatened," Hurtado said. "I feel like if you build that connection, it’ll kind of bring those walls down a little bit and I think that’s really important."

With trust also comes dependability, which she feels someone who knows two languages brings to the position.

“It feels nice when I go to a call and I talk to them and they say, 'Hey, do you speak Spanish?' and yes, I say 'I do speak Spanish, how can I help you?'" she said. "And it just feels nice to know both languages, and it helps me day in and day out and it helps my coworkers as well.”

In her four years of working at the Sheriff’s Office, Hurtado said she’s been needed every day to help translate.

She says it’s a skill that’s enhanced her ability to serve and protect her community.

“You can actually see what point they’re trying to get across as opposed to having miscommunications if you don’t speak their language," she said.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has more than 1,000 employees in different positions throughout the county, and more than 200 of them are Hispanic.

Hurtado said it’s a critical need.

“I just feel like it’s really important to have people like myself representing the Hispanic community," she said. "So that they could feel protected seeing someone like them out here doing this, and maybe it’ll motivate them. Like, you know what she did it, I can do it too.”

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is also offering a sign-on bonus to new recruits. Anyone interested in applying can visit the Polk County Sheriff's Office website.