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Welcome to our episode with Yendy Gonzalez, a firefighter

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The number of emergency calls received by the police every year is staggering. In fact, there are hundreds of thousands of emergency calls received in police call centers that require immediate attention. Law enforcement officers are there to protect and serve you. When you call 911, their first job is to get you help, and knowing where you are, connects you to the help you need. A lot of things happen at home that are not foreseeable, and learning your addresses and street avenues and teaching them to your children is key to getting help when you need it. Law enforcement is a family that comes together to serve, protect, and provide you, with a way for you to have help, direction, and protection from the criminal elements that are part of society.

Join the conversation with Aquil Roberts as he shares his role as a Police Call Taker, his experience with the calls, and how he manages his mind, soul, and spirit to show up as his best self for his job and family.  Robert was born and raised in Miami and has been working for eight (8) years with the city of Miami Police Department. Learn the process to follow to get help when you have a problem, someone has been hurt, a crime has been committed, or there is any emergency situation.  

During this episode:

[00:01] Intro 

[01:45] A bit about our guest today, Aquil Roberts, a Police Call Taker 

[02:04] Who is a Police Call Taker? Find out

[04:10] The call takers and how they work to serve the citizens 

[06:25] Being prepared for the low points and high points call 

[08:28] Weird and wild call season Aquil has experienced

[12:49] Callers' emotions, aims, and how they comfort them to get the information 

[17:58] Tips on teaching kids to call and get help from 911 center

[22:24] The age to start teaching children to call 911, and why it’s valuable 

[29:26] Support that the 911 call takers get because of their stressful work 

[34:20] Why the police call taker is the lifeline between the citizen and help 

[38:48]How working for 911 has changed Aquil as a family man

[48:45] How to maintain your mental health without taking your job home as a call taker

[50:41]The opportunities Aquil had to bring God and His giftings in his work

[54:01] The hotline for non-emergency and how to get connected

[55:00] Light question session to know Aquil deeper 

[56:16] Ending the show

• God hears us when we call out to him. 
• You can be part of law enforcement and order by simply taking part in prayer.
• Knowing where you are is key to getting help. 
• The world is nasty, but God has so much grace for us.
• Your job shouldn’t give you your identity, God gives us our identity. 

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Life is a cycle, and we will all hit rock bottoms in our sojourn on earth, whether it is the loss of a job, a divorce, the death of a loved one, or an accident that leaves us with permanent changes. Have you ever thought of that scenario? How would you handle it? Probably you may be going through that right now. In today’s episode with Jose Rodriguez from the Medley Police Department, you will get insights, inspiration, and motivation to go through storms in life. Having gone through a near-death accident in 2019, spent his life in a wheelchair for almost one year, and lost his job as a cop, Jose has seen it all. Despite that, he bounced back, bigger and better.

Jose’s inspiration to anyone is to always keep pushing through, no matter what. Yes, the obstacles will come, and life may not go as you plan. However, trust in God and keep pushing. God will come through to your rescue. Understand that negative experiences can bring recognition of personal strength, the exploration of new possibilities, improved relationships with others, and a paradigm shift towards your God-given and divine purpose. Nothing happens to your life and finds God by surprise. It’s always for the good if you keep the faith. 

Key Highlights from the Episode

[00:01] Intro 

[01:47] A bit about our guest today, Jose Rodriguez

[03:40] How Jose’s passion for becoming a policeman came about

[04:45] His salvation journey

[07:51] Getting into the military after high school

[10:49] How Jose started as a chaplain

[12:34] His wife’s support when moving out at night to aid other police officers

[13:43] Jose’s great memories as a police dispatcher

[15:33] It’s a hard job being a dispatcher

[18:48] Tips on the best ways to package and relay information to a 911 call

[22:03] Jose’s transition from a dispatcher to a sworn law enforcement officer 

[26:30] Jose’s May 31st, 2019, near death tragedy

[42:10] How his family has navigated and grown through this turmoil

[45:58] Raising kids with special needs and what you can do

[52:47] Jose’s encouragement to cops who have gone through a similar situation

[53:43] Is there anything God can’t forgive?

[55:09] His daughter’s reaction to the whole thing of accident

[55:42] Ending the show

• People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. 
• Being calm and describing the incident to the dispatcher is the best way to get help.
• Always be faithful and wait upon the Lord. He will open your doors.
• Humour is one of the coping mechanisms of police officers.
• Always lean on the Lord. That is the only thing that will keep you grounded in times of adversity. 

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Law enforcement officers do a crucial job of protecting citizens. This demanding career comes with a ton of challenges and traumatic scenes. A normal human being will see one or two traumatic events in their lifetime. To a cop, that number shoots to over 300+ incidents in their lifetime. Such events lead to some cops killing themselves or engaging in unethical practices such as drugs, multiple partners, and other activities that endanger their lives. Strong moral, social, and spiritual support is needed to help these officers cope and navigate the challenges they face.

Despite that, Chief David Rivero has had a successful law enforcement career for over 40 years, 38 years of marriage with the same wife. Chief Rivero joins us in this episode to share insights, inspirations, and ways to navigate the terrific challenges that police officers have.

 David A. Rivero joined the University of Miami in October of 2006 after retiring from an impressive 26-year career with the City of Miami Police Department as a Major. He arrived at the University with a modern, comprehensive vision for the UM Police Department (UMPD), and set out to make UMPD a national model for professionalism and community-oriented policing.

Key Highlights from the Episode

[00:01] Intro 

[02:32] What inspired Chief David Rivero into law enforcement despite other careers

[07:00] The life of a homicide cop that very few people know about

[11:01] How Chief Rivero has been able to remain compassionate as a cop

[14:10] Negative ways police officers deal with trauma

[16:02] Other great achievements in the Miami PD 

[20:51] How important is God in one’s life?

[26:52] Terrific challenges among police officers, how he has survived, and his advice

[33:14] How Chief Rivero keeps his family safe from the effects of policing incidents 

[43:16] Balancing between the laws of God, laws of man, and laws of nature as a cop

[47:25] Overview of the police department at the University of Miami

[51:03] Chief Rivero’s love for arts

[54:24] Episode wrap up

• In a homicide scene, you never leave the place until you have collected everything you need. Once you leave the site, you will never get the information you want. 
• A normal human being sees one or two traumatic things in a lifetime. Cops see 300 to 400 in their lifetime.
• So many traumatic scenes affect an officer's life. 
• Humor is often a coping defense mechanisms for police officers.
• As a cop, always keep your family away from your job. 

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Get to know a true hero.  Mom and Wife to a Miami Police Officer talks about her journey.  Find inspiration from do's an don'ts she has learned along the way. 

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Retired from NYPD, Pastor Carlos Aviles was our guest for an annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Lunch we host every year. This year we were able to host a live Podcast during our lunch with about 17 police agencies and over 160 people in attendance.  Pastor Carlos shares about some of his time as a detective with NYPD and some of his experiences during the 9-11 attacks in New York. 

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The Miami-Dade School Police Department is the largest school police departments in the nation. On this episode we get to join a heart felt conversation with the youngest Chief of Police of MDSPD. Personally Chief Edwin changed his perspective of officers being the boogie man to  combining teaching and law enforcement. 

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The Holiday Season is a time of joy and celebration, but it can also present unique challenges for our first responders. Due to the shift work, the increased crime and other difficult factors, law enforcement are especially burdended during this time of the year.   On this Ask A Cop Extra we speak with Mailyn Sosa-Castellanos who works as a clinician at a local Miami Dade Police Department.  We are reminded that the community could pray for our first responders. As family and friends we can be creative to maintain the love at home, even if it's during non-traditional ways and times.  

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What is harder, flying a helicopter or waiting on God.  We get to join the journey the store of officer Mario getting into law enforcement and eventually becoming a helicopter pilot for Miami Dade Police Department.  

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In today's episode we talk about how help for law enforcement professionals, first responders, and soldiers,  the warrior class, must be different. The models of the recent past have in large part failed to bring hope, and instead trapped these warriors in cycles they were unable to escape from. Today we talk about a new paradigm that is bringing real hope.