OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — At a time when the department is shorthanded, Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez said he is trying to create a diverse workplace.

Capt. Ivan Molina says "every day is a different adventure" as he oversees the west side of Osceola County.

Molina has been in law enforcement for 26 years, with 17 of those at the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. Before coming to Osceola, he was working at the New York Police Department.

“I started in my 20s and I have enjoyed it ever since," Molina said. "Can’t think of doing anything else."

This year Molina was promoted to captain, the only minority at the department with that rank.

“I was very honored that I was actually chosen this past January with Sheriff Marcos Lopez,” he said.

Earlier this year, Lopez was criticized about a lack of diversity at the agency. During his swearing-in, the group of administrators that stood behind him were mostly white. During his campaign, Lopez promised to diversify his team.

“If you have law enforcement officers that don’t have experience, even if they are minorities and you put them in these positions to investigate say, a homicide but they've never done that before,” Lopez explained. “But you’re doing it cause they’re minority status, you’re talking about people's lives.”

Lopez said in part, this is why he is launching a job fair this week, in the hopes of recruiting more diverse people, particularly bilingual officers. There are 40 deputy positions and 26 civilian positions currently open.

Molina encourages those who are thinking about a career in law enforcement, to go for it.

“So your first step is … apply. Give it a try, I guarantee you, you're actually going to love it,” Molina said. “You will be on. I started when I was young and now I’ve been 26 years here. It's been amazing every step of the way.”

The job fair is on April 9 from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the Osceola County Emergency Management Building.