SAPD Officer Alice Portillo

I was born and raised in San Antonio, TX. After graduating high school I attended Our Lady of the Lake University. I graduated with my Bachelor's in 2001. I signed to join the Army the summer before 9/11. After graduating I left to Basic. I was assigned at Ft. Bragg as a Human Intelligence Collector. I was Airborne and have jumped out of perfectly good aircrafts 33 times. I was deployed to Bolivia and Afghanistan. I served for 8 years. I returned to San Antonio and found my passion with SAPD. I have found out this career gives you the foundation to follow any dream you work for. I volunteer with Shields for Kids and I am part of the Family Assistance Team. I have a son who is in the Air Force who is currently deployed. When I am not working patrol at South I attend San Antonio College in their American Sign Language Instructional Training Program. I began taking classes in the Summer of 2018. I am currently enrolled in the Interpreting I class. I have always wanted to learn American Sign Language and saw the necessity of learning to assist our Deaf Community. I hope to create a Deaf Liaison position for our Department to help bridge the Deaf Community with our Police Department. I was raised by a single mother who did her best to shield me. I was raised on the East side of San Antonio. I am a first generation college graduate. Becoming an SAPD Officer was never my plan, but it has given me so many opportunities. I always tell the youth on my calls that I am not supposed to be here and I could have very easily become a negative statistic if they knew my upbringing. I also tell them you just need one strong role model in your life to route you to success. We choose our paths and it has to come from your will to succeed. Nothing in life comes easily and has to be earned.

#TheBlueiswithYou

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