A lifetime of military and law enforcement service was supposed to end with a quiet retirement on the Treasure Coast. However, for one local officer, the call to serve the community was simply too strong to ignore. After just 30 days of retirement in St. Lucie County, Officer Alberto “Al” Delgado found himself back in uniform, this time dedicating his days to helping the most vulnerable residents of Fort Pierce.
Officer Delgado brings a wealth of life and leadership experience to the Fort Pierce Police Department. Born in Okinawa, Japan, and raised in Puerto Rico by a military family, his dedication to public service was instilled at an early age. Following his graduation from the University of Puerto Rico, he served his country as a Captain in the U.S. Army. The tragic events of September 11 later propelled him into local law enforcement, leading to a distinguished 22-year career with the Lauderhill Police Department before he decided to retire to the Treasure Coast.
That retirement was incredibly brief. Recruited by a former supervisor, Delgado now serves as the dedicated homeless and veteran liaison for the Fort Pierce Police Department’s Community Engagement Unit. Rather than traditional patrol duties, his days are spent conducting grassroots community outreach. His primary mission is to build trust with individuals living on the streets and connect them with vital, life-changing resources.
Through his daily outreach, Officer Delgado helps provide the local homeless population with access to essential wraparound services, including:
- Housing assistance programs designed to transition individuals safely off the streets.
- Critical medical care and support services.
- Administrative assistance for securing official identification documents necessary for employment and social benefits.
As a military veteran himself, Delgado holds a special place in his heart for former service members facing hard times in the local community. He views his work not just as an assignment, but as a moral imperative to ensure no veteran is left behind on the streets of Fort Pierce.
“I will do anything and everything within my power to be able to bring a homeless veteran into a better environment,” Delgado shared. “You can’t judge a book by its cover. Just because you see a person who’s having a difficult time, there is a story. There are reasons why this person ended up on the streets.”
For this dedicated officer, success is not tracked by traditional law enforcement metrics or arrest statistics. Instead, the true measure of a job well done is seeing fewer people sleeping on the streets and knowing that the area’s struggling residents are finally getting a second chance to rebuild their lives. As Delgado notes, whenever the street population visibly decreases, he knows the unit is successfully doing its job to bring hope back to the Treasure Coast.
