Building a bridge between law enforcement and civilians By Deborah W. Morton
For Ismael Lopez, life as a police ofcer came at a cost. Growing up in a tough eastside Erie neighborhood, Lopez, who is Hispanic, would often fnd himself on the wrong side of the law. The father fgure in his life was in and out of jail and died of a heroin overdose. Then he watched as his older brother, whom he loved and emulated, go of to prison. “I just reached a day when I thought ‘I’ve got to do something diferent,’” Lopez said, a decision that led him to the Mercyhurst Municipal Police Training Academy at North East. That was 2015, and he was one of only two ethnic minorities in a class of 19 males and four females. Originally, he believed that he wasn’t good enough to become a police ofcer, and so he had something to prove. But what he struggled with most was the loss of his friends, who ridiculed his new lifestyle. “When I made the decision to become a cop, people I thought were my closest friends disowned me,” he said. “That puts a lot of pressure on a person and can easily deter you from going through with it.” In fact, that is exactly why Lopez believes there aren’t more minorities in law enforcement. “People want change and they want diversity, but nobody wants to step up and be that change,” he said. “There are a lot of kids I grew up with who aren’t on the right path. Some would say that you are a product of your environment,
As a result, Lopez has been able build rapport with people in his community, so much so that he is now his department’s public information ofcer and manages its social media. He is even using TikTok to connect with kids, said his chief, John Sicilia. “We encourage Ismael to keep reaching out and humanizing the badge to kids,” Sicilia said. “Our community is lucky to have someone of his character protecting and serving.” Lopez said his goal is to be a bridge between law enforcement and civilians. “It’s frustrating because often the minorities don’t understand the police, and the police don’t understand the minorities,” he said. “Honestly, though, there is not one white police ofcer I work with who is not well intentioned, but some of them are starting to lose hope and patience.” Lopez and a business partner, who is a Marine particularly those in law enforcement and the military, become stronger, healthier versions of themselves and, thereby, be better at their jobs. They ofer supplements, training, and other incentives for optimum performance. He said he would like this company to grow with the goal of bridging the gap between law enforcement and the people they serve. If his prior track record is any indicator, he should be well on his way. Corps veteran, have started a company, ValorLabz, designed to help individuals,
but you don’t have to use that to hold you back, you can use it as fuel to move on and be the change you want to see.” In the end, it was his own perseverance and the support of his family, particularly his mother and young daughter, Jenalise, that got him through. “Even my brother in prison, who is one of those ‘do as I say not as I do’ kind of guys, supported my decision to become a cop,” he said. Ultimately, Lopez was voted captain of his class and earned the academy’s President’s Award, the highest honor a cadet can receive. Today, as a patrolman with the Northern Regional Police Department of Allegheny County, Lopez is still trying to be the change, and it is even more challenging in a climate where police ofcers, once revered, are frequently vilifed. As a minority, he is in a unique position, able to identify with both sides in a confict. “Being Hispanic helps,” he said. “For instance, I can pull someone over and they’ll immediately call me a racist. But then they’ll see my nametag, and act like, ‘Oh, Lopez, you are Hispanic, not white; I can talk to you.’” At times, he gets maligned simply for being a cop, and it can be difcult not to react with the same hostility. “I use those instances as an opportunity to change the perspective,” he said. “I treat everyone as if I’m talking to my brother. I love him. But every action has a consequence.”
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