CARMEN ROCHE

Carmen attended South Division High School when she moved to Milwaukee from Puerto Rico. In 2003, she graduated from Loyola Academy and earned her Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree in 2012. She moved to Janesville in 2023 and began her Law Enforcement career.  She is a mother of a 4-year-old, and a bonus mom to an 18-year-old and a 16-year-old. 

Aside from her patrol duties, she serves as a School Resource Officer and is currently a member of the following teams: Crisis Negotiator, Honor Guard, Mobile Field Force, Field Force Extrication and Chronic Nuisance. In 2019, Carmen received the City of Janesville Mighty Oak Award. Throughout her career, Carmen has received exemplary service citations, chief’s commendations and problem-oriented policing awards.

While working with at-risk adolescents as a Youth Specialist Supervisor she trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and became certified in the Jireh verbal/physical de-escalation/intervention. As the Director of Safety for St. Anthony’s schools, she successfully implemented a strategic plan for their new safety department and developed a business proposal to increase security for 5 campuses in a high crime area of Milwaukee before she moved to Janesville. Carmen also had the opportunity to fulfill her passion for dancing and teach dance right before she was hired by JPD.

In 2018, she formed the 1st Wisconsin Team for Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA). SDIA exits to engage, assist and empower our nation's veterans and first responders to Get Off The Couch™️ and reengage in living active, meaningful and productive live through outdoor adventures, mental wellness training, and disaster response (volunteerism).  The most recent disaster relief led by Carmen was during the 2024 tornado in Janesville, and nearby towns.  Carmen graduated from Warrior PATHH in 2023. Warrior PATHH is a non-clinical, peer-to-peer mental wellness program for First Responders and Veterans focusing on trauma from childhood to adulthood which cultivates and facilitates Post-Traumatic Growth.

In 2024, her contributions to our community were recognized by the Richard Ellis American Legion Post 205 of Janesville with the “Edward J. Ormaby” Law and Order Award which moved to a statewide nomination. The American Legion Department of Wisconsin awarded her with the prestigious leadership award at the state level.