- Amparo Vega
Amparo Vega (born March 22, 1963 in
Cleveland ,Ohio ) is a police officer and entrepeneur who created the peace officer-themed commercial website CuffNStuff.com.Early life
Vega was born to Moises and Maria Vega, both of whom were born in
Puerto Rico . She has four brothers, Robert, Dennis, Nicolas and Hector, and a sister, Sandra.Attending Cleveland Public Schools, she graduated from Collinwood High School in 1981. AttendingCuyahoga Community College , she majored in Business and Criminal Justice before serving in theUnited States Army Reserve from 1983 to 1985.Police career
Vega joined the Cleveland Police Department in 1986, beginning as a basic patrol officer. In 1994, she was transferred to the bicycle unit before being moved into the minority recruitment office the following year.As of 1996, she has been an instructor in the Cleveland Police Academy.
Cuff 'N' Stuff
In 2007, Vega started Cuff 'N' Stuff, a jewelry website focused on ornaments of interest to police officers, firefighters and military personnel, with her business partner, Megan Connelly. The name is a reference to the act of handcuffing a suspect and putting them in the back of a patrol car.The centerpiece of the website is a ring incorporating two working handcuff keys. She began working on the design in 2005, shopping it around to a half-dozen jewelers and going through ten prototypes before coming up with a working model.
Certifications
Vega is certified by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission to instruct other officers and recruits. She is also certified as a fitness specialist of older adults and law enforcement officers by the
Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research inDallas ,Texas .She holds an additional certification in defense tactics using a police baton.She is also a certified armorer forGlock after completing advanced semi-automatic handgun training, and fromTaser she received certification as an instructor, armorer, and in-custody death investigator.Awards
In 2006, Vega was honored with a special recognition award as the first Hispanic female assigned to the Cleveland Police Academy. In 2008, she received the Chief's Outstanding Unit Award.
References
"Fashion Police" [http://www.clevelandmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=E73ABD6180B44874871A91F6BA5C249C&nm=Arts+%26+Entertainemnt&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=1578600D80804596A222593669321019&tier=4&id=338F38A194E1466CA99B9002AA0F3B1A]
"Police officer Amparo Vega designs handcuff key ring - Bright Ideas" [http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business-7/1214987488145460.xml&coll=2]
http://www.coolcleveland.com/index.php?n=Main.ChainSmokin
External links
Cuff 'N' Stuff [http://www.cuffnstuff.com]
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