UT Health San Antonio Police Department
My name is Tim Gutierrez. Right out of high school I joined the Navy, an easy choice having been raised in a Navy family. I served as a US Navy Hospital Corpsman and deployed to Iraq with 3rd Battalion 14th Marines, an MP Task Force with a presence all over western Iraq. Upon leaving the Navy, I began my career with UT Health San Antonio as a guard in 2008. Almost a year later, I graduated the UT Police Academy in the 86th BPOC. A career in law enforcement was not initially on my radar, but I have since fallen in love with it. Working for UT Health San Antonio has led to many amazing opportunities I never would have imagined. I worked with outstanding officers in the founding group of the UT System Rapid Response Team (SRRT). I had the honor of being a Field Training Officer, a position I believe to be the most important in policing. I also loved my time as a Sergeant because no matter what is happening, Sergeants keep the operation running. During Covid, I worked as the Planning Section Chief in the organization’s Emergency Operations Center. The EOC planned and was a major part of the university’s Covid vaccine clinic, which administered over 250,000 vaccinations. Most recently, I was fortunate to organize and plan, alongside the US Secret Service, First Lady Jill Biden’s visit to our campus. I also led the creation of the UT Health Mental Health Unit (MHU), a unit that has already been very active in assisting students, employees, patients, and various non-affiliated people in mental health crises. My current duties as a Lieutenant include overseeing the Patrol Division and the MHU. Thanks to a department that puts a premium on education, I was able to complete my undergraduate degree in Organizational Leadership and am currently working toward my master’s degree in Criminal Justice. My biggest goal in my law enforcement career is to be the leader I would want to work with. I have been able to work with, and for, some amazing leaders in my time in the military and with UT. I hope to leave a positive impact on the profession.
