Congressional Record honors Alice native, Jim Wells County sergeant Joshua Roque

A rare entry in the Congressional Record put Alice native Sgt. Joshua Roque in front of the U.S. House of Representatives, giving Jim Wells County a moment of national recognition for a career built close to home. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, whose Texas 15th Congressional District includes Jim Wells County, delivered the May 13 tribute and highlighted Roque’s service and leadership at the Jim Wells County Sheriff’s Office.

The recognition centered on a straightforward but meaningful local story: Roque moved from correctional officer to patrol sergeant over six years with the department. In a county where public service often plays out in the everyday work of answering calls, securing the courthouse, overseeing jail operations and handling traffic enforcement, that kind of climb signaled more than a title change. It reflected a career built on reliability, discipline and trust inside the county’s main law-enforcement agency.

That matters in Alice, where the Census Bureau estimated the population at 17,550 as of July 1, 2025, down from 17,891 in the 2020 census. Jim Wells County was estimated at 38,804 in mid-2025, compared with 38,891 in 2020. In a place this size, deputies and sergeants are often known long before they are honored, and a promotion earned from within can carry weight in homes, schools and workplaces across the county.

The Jim Wells County Sheriff’s Department says the sheriff is the county’s chief law-enforcement officer, with responsibilities that include criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, jail operation, courthouse security, service of subpoenas and accepting bail for prisoners in custody. The department’s mission statement stresses duty to the public, honor, professionalism, respect, honesty and values, and Roque’s rise fit squarely within that framework.

The timing added another layer to the recognition. National Police Week ran May 11-16, 2026, with the Candlelight Vigil scheduled for May 13, the same day Roque was honored in the Congressional Record. National Police Week dates to 1962, when President John F. Kennedy signed Public Law 87-726, designating May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and establishing the week in which it falls as Police Week.

For Alice and Jim Wells County, the tribute placed a hometown officer in a broader public conversation without turning away from the local roots that shaped his career. Roque’s recognition stood as a reminder that in communities like this one, steady service can travel far beyond county lines.