Threepeat: Lorain native named Elyria’s trooper of the year again

ELYRIA — Juan “Ray” Santiago has been named the Elyria post’s Trooper of the Year for the third year in a row.

Juan Santiago

Santiago has worked at the Elyria post since 2013, making Santiago the winner of the award every year since he began working at his current post. In 2014, Santiago was also chosen as District Trooper of the Year.

Fellow patrol officers at the post chose Santiago for the award. He works with a team of 15 troopers, four sergeants and one lieutenant.

“It’s humbling, it’s an honor … when your peers give you an award, you take that to heart,” Santiago said.

In a media release, fellow officers said Santiago was chosen because of “leadership abilities, professional ethics, courteous treatment of others, enthusiastic work attitude and cooperation with supervisors, peers and the public.”

Santiago began working as a trooper in 2010 when he joined the Ashland post. Becoming a trooper had long been a dream of Santiago’s.

“One of my biggest regrets in life was not doing the military and going straight to college,” he said.

When the opportunity to become a trooper became available, Santiago quickly left his job in retail management.

“I thought it was a way to contribute to the greater good on a local level,” he said.

Santiago, who has always worked the night shift at the post, says he keeps one thing in mind when he is working.

“One question we always ask at the patrol is, ‘What will you do today to contribute to a safer Ohio?’ ” said Santiago. “It’s my goal at the end of each day to have an honest answer to that question.”

Santiago grew up in Lorain and still lives there with his family.

“I’m blessed to work in the area that I was born and raised in, so I’m especially prideful of where I work,” he said.

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