Good News Of The Day: Indian-American Woman Cop Becomes Highest-Ranking South Asian In NYPD

Indian-American Captain Pratima Bhullar Maldonado was promoted to the position last month.

In rather good news, Indian-American Captain Pratima Bhullar Maldonado has been named as the highest-ranking South Asian in the New York Police Department (NYPD). She was promoted to the position last month.

For the unversed, Pratima Bhullar Maldonado is currently incharge of the 102nd Police Precinct in South Richmond Hill, which is home to one of the largest Sikh communities in the US. And now she has become the NYPD's first female South Asian captain, CBS News reported.

Statement by Pratima Bhullar Maldonado

Maldonado, who is a mother of four, actually moved to Queens at the age of 9. She lived in Punjab until then. "It feels like coming home. I spent more than 25 years of my life in this precinct when I was growing up," she said, adding that her new role will help with community policing.

The high-ranking cop also said that it wasn't easy for her to climb the ranks. "Getting out there and working, and protecting people that are cursing you out sometimes and not appreciating what you're doing, but you still gotta do what you got to do," Maldonado said.

"It's a big responsibility. I want to be a better and positive example, not only for my community, for other females, kids that see us every day. Because that would change their perspective of how they view law enforcement," she added.

According to the NYPD, out of the total Department's 33,787 members, 10.5 percent are Asian. "I feel extremely proud. It's good to show other up and coming Asian, South Asian females that if you work hard enough you too can climb the ladder of success," Maldonado further informed CBS News.

Proud of her heritage

Post becoming the highest-ranking south asian in NYPD, she remembered her father and revealed he drove a taxi in the US for many years to support the family. "He was a hard worker. He passed away in 2006, before I became a cop. He would have been so proud right now," she said.

Earlier this year, Lt Manmeet Colon, who is a 37-year-old Indian-origin Sikh woman officer, took charge as the assistant police chief in the state of Connecticut, and thus became the department's first-ever second-in-command of Asian descent.