PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Every year in May, National Police Week rolls around. 

For officer Antonio Pici, making a difference in someone’s day is why he’s a police officer at Bay Pines Veterans Affairs. 

He said it’s the interactions he has with veterans at the hospital that make his job special.

“Sometimes it leads to a quick general conversation and other times it can turn into them needing an ear just to listen to,” he said.  

Both on foot and in his police cruiser, Pici travels across campus checking for unattended bags, anything out of place, and making sure both the staff and veterans at the hospital are safe. 

It’s not a coincidence Pici works with veterans. He served eight years in the Minnesota National Guard himself before becoming a police officer. 

He sees police week as a time to honor officers who’ve lost their lives and celebrate the connection he has with both his fellow officers and veterans he’s served with.

“It’s a very rewarding career, but it also has its dangers. It’s also a way for us to remember those of our friends and colleagues that we have lost in the line of duty,” he said.

Finishing up his rounds, Pici stops by the national cemetery on campus. 

He said the heroes buried serve as a reminder to him about why he does what he does.

“Every single veteran that walks through those doors and through this VA and hospital I consider my brothers and sisters,” Pici said.

Bay Pines held events throughout the week in honor of National Police Week, including a dodgeball game and coffee with a cop.