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Police Dreams

Dalila Rivera hopes to one day be a police officer.

Listen to this Commentary!

By Dalila Rivera

I remember the day when my uncle threw a shoe across the living room and hit my aunt on the back of her head. It was two weeks before I turned eight years old. I was watching Tiny Toons with his two boys when it happened.

My uncle beat my aunt almost every day. The only time he didn’t was when he wasn’t home. At home, he was always mad. And when he got mad, he beat her. He’d get mad when he didn’t drink...and when he did drink, he’d get mad because he didn’t drink enough.

The day he threw the shoe, I couldn’t take it anymore. I was so fed up that I said, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a police officer and arrest you.” He looked at me like I was stupid. Even my aunt came to me the next day and told me that I was a dumb little girl who didn’t know what I was talking about.

I’m 15 now and I never changed my mind: I am going to be a police officer. A year ago I joined a group called EXPLORERS. It’s for teenagers to train at the police academy on Saturday mornings. We do physical training…learn how to spot criminals and go on foot patrol at the Northridge Mall, every Thanksgiving ‘til Christmas Eve. Right before Christmas last year, I got three guys arrested from a mall parking lot for trying to steal cars.

I’m also part of the Police Academy Magnet School, where we train every day and go to classes like street law and civil law. This year, out of 15 students in my class, I was chosen to be sergeant. I’m the only girl in my class, too.

My family asks why I can’t be a doctor or a social worker. I think it’s because I can’t forget what happened between my aunt and uncle. They’re still together because he stopped drinking and they go to church every week now. But the other day my aunt called me and she told me that I was a really smart young lady because of what I did for her…..which was protect her. The police code for spousal abuse is 273.5 and that’s what I want to stop when I become a police officer.

I’m Dalila Rivera.

Host Back Announce: Dalila Rivera comes to us from Youth Radio LA, a collaboration between LACAAW, KCRW FM, and Youth Radio.