LAPLACE — Lt. Paul Swancey says Deputy Gilberto Castellanos is the type of person who comes to work everyday to give 110 percent no matter what task he faces.

“He is just one of those guys that is so solid,” Swancey said. “He is a pillar of what we do here. Deputy Gilberto is a fine officer. He has been here since 2009 and he is the type of guy that goes out to the community and gives them everything he has. He doesn’t save anything, he gives it all to the community everyday.”

Swancey and Castellanos are officers with the St. John the Baptist Sheriff’s Office.

Castellanos serves St. John Parish as an acting translator for Spanish speakers who do not speak English and has used his own money to purchase an air conditioner for an elderly resident.

In an effort to make his superior aware of the things Castellanos has done and continues to do for the community, Swancey wrote Sheriff Mike Tregre a letter bringing Castellanos to his attention.

“Some of these guys go above and beyond what is required, and Gilberto is a prime example of that,” Tregre said.

“He is one of a few officers that have done things that nobody asked them to do. Nobody instructed him to do the kind acts.”

For exhibiting outstanding service, Castellanos was recently named the Deputy of the Month by the St. John Business Association.

Tregre wasn’t surprised.

“I’ve got a good department and some good officers,” Tregre said. “It makes me proud to head a department that has officers with that kind of heart and compassion. He quietly goes about his business and does his job. We are fortunate to have him in the St. John Sheriff’s Office. I think he is an asset to the department and the community.”

Castellanos said he was a Boy Scout in his home country of Guatemala.

“When we got together we would share what we did for somebody else,” he said. “So for me to do something good is normal. If I see someone with a flat tire, I stop and ask if they need help. If I see something that’s on the ground that needs to be thrown away, I pick it up. It’s just the way I am.”

Being bilingual, Castellanos has helped the St. John Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies deal with Spanish speakers who speak little or no English. He has also helped translate for dispatch as well, with operators calling him on a three-way line to translate for Hispanic 911 callers.

Recently Castellanos stayed past his shift and assisted Trooper Ron Sander with a DWI arrest where the subject didn’t speak English.

Another example of Castellanos going above and beyond happened on one of his rounds checking on the elderly residents. After visiting a resident multiple times, he noticed the home was always warm.

“The lady lived in Reserve,” Castellanos said.

“Every time I went to her house, it was too hot. I asked her if there was something wrong with her air conditioning, and she said it was broke. So every time I went, the air conditioner was still broke. I decided to take it upon myself and purchase her a window air conditioner and not tell anyone.”

The only person Castellanos told was his supervisor, who shared the kind act with the other officers in the department.

Castellanos attributes his kind heart to his parents.

“They were an example for us,” he said. “My dad was a reporter, and he was always looking to help somebody with a story. Every time he would see somebody that needed help, he would write a story about them.”