Episode Transcript
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Officer Sam Rippamonti (00:02):
Welcome back to another episode of Allen
Police.
Behind the Badge, we're yourhosts, officer Sam Ripamani and
Alexis Birmingham.
Community Outreach Coordina (00:09):
And today our special guest is
Officer Anthony Garcia.
Thank you for joining us today.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (00:13):
You're welcome, hey Anthony.
So before we get into what youdo for the department, we want
to start off.
You've been here what 16 yearsnow.
School Resource Offic (00:24):
September will be 17.
17 years been here.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (00:26):
what 16 years?
Now, September will be 17.
17 years, oh man, time flies.
So, in that 17 years, can yougive us a good story, something
that you've encountered whileworking here?
School Resource Officer A (00:38):
There was one night my first few
years I worked deep nights.
And there was one night I wasassigned up in the northeast
part of town and we kept getting911 hangups at this one
residence.
It was at the time OfficerCollier and I.
(00:58):
We responded, guy wouldn'tanswer the door, said he was
okay, but I mean, he had beencalling 911 like multiple times
during the day, and so wedecided to investigate a little
bit further and, um, eventuallywe made it into the house
through the garage and, uh, wedetained the guy.
(01:19):
Um, and at that time officerCollier decided to do a
protective sweep of the houseand he came back down and was
like hey, we got to get out ofhere now.
And in my head I'm thinkingthis guy's already killed
someone.
And so we get him out of thehouse, get him in the back of my
car and he's trying to speak tome the entire time and he's
(01:42):
speaking like gibberish and soI'm not understanding him.
So, long story short, we get,get him arrested.
He, he had a grow house, um,growing marijuana all throughout
the house.
I didn't know that at the timeand, uh, it goes to court and
after it's all said and done, um, both parties are about to rest
the case.
The guy's like I want to, Iwant to testify.
(02:04):
So he gets up on the stands andhe goes.
Well, because in my report Iput I was having a hard time
understanding what he was saying, and so he goes.
Well, you know, your honor,hispanic officers have a hard
time understanding English, andso this is why Officer Garcia
was not able to understand methat night.
And in my head I'm trying notto laugh out loud in court, but
(02:26):
in my head I'm thinking dude,I've already gone up and
testified.
The judge has heard me speak,I'm pretty sure he knows that I
can speak and understand Englishfairly well.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (02:38):
Wow, so do you speak Spanish?
No yeah that's a, that's hetried, I mean he tried A for
effort, I guess right.
Wow, so never figured out whyhe was calling 911 or anything.
School Resource Officer An (02:52):
Well , I think he partook in all the
things that he was growing andstarted hallucinating.
One of the reasons why we gotinto the house is because
Officer Carrier went around tothe garage area and I was like
around the kitchen area of thehouse and I could see a
silhouette of him and he wasyelling still and he said
(03:16):
something about I'm going to cutyour fingers off and I didn't
know if he was talking to me orif he was talking to somebody
else on the side of the house.
So that gave us our exigency toget into the house.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (03:26):
Wow, you just never know what a 911
hang-up call is going to turninto.
So where are you from?
School Resource Offi (03:33):
Originally from.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (03:34):
Oklahoma .
What part of Oklahoma are?
School Resource Officer Ant (03:35):
you from the south central part
Grew up not too far from.
In the country Grew up not toofar from Lake Texoma so spent
many, many weekends out on thelake, lots of camping.
I graduated high school fromMedill High School in Medill,
Oklahoma.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (03:54):
How many were in your graduating class?
School Resource Offi (03:57):
Graduating class was around 65.
So very, very small.
Everybody knew everybody.
Kind of like Allen High School,right oh yeah, I know, I tell
my kids all the time I'm likethere's no way I could have
survived in Allen High School.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (04:10):
No, it's like it's a college.
That's what it feels like.
School Resource Officer Anth (04:13):
Oh yeah, so many so many people.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (04:15):
So, Medill, what brought you to
Texas?
School Resource Officer Anth (04:18):
So after I graduated high school,
I decided to join the US Army,went off to basic training, got
stationed at Fort Hood.
From there I went to Bosnia forabout I think it's somewhere
between six to eight months,went back to Fort Hood and then
got reassigned to Fort Knox,kentucky, as a permanent duty
(04:39):
station.
During that time I got marriedSeptember or July 4th of 2001.
And, if you know, not too longafter that, september 11th
happened and I told my wife I'mlike, hey, we're not going to be
here much longer.
And so the army sent me back toFort Hood and in March of 2004,
(05:03):
I left to go to Iraq and cameback the beginning of April of
2005.
Wow, so after that I became arecruiter.
Because they thought I spokeSpanish, they sent me to the
heavily Hispanic area of Dallasto recruit.
And I country boy, I'm notliving in Dallas, and I'm a
country boy, I'm not living inDallas.
(05:23):
So we found Allen because itwas small, and my wife fell in
love with it.
She got a job teaching in theschool district and we decided
to make Allen our home.
So when it was time for mycontract to expire and get out,
I was looking for a job.
And here you are, yeah.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (05:43):
And you've been with Allen since.
You say was it eight 2008?
Yeah, so just to, I started in07.
You were right after me.
I remember y'all were a biggroup that kind of hired in at
the same time.
School Resource Officer Antho (05:54):
I think there was eight or nine
of us yeah, I remember them alot of y'all are still here too,
so that's awesome yeah, there's, I think there's three of us
still, three or four of us stillhere, not as many as I thought,
but yeah, uh, yeah.
So that is another story.
Like went to when I firstapplied there's, they're only
going to hire two and I'mthinking all right, my odds are
(06:16):
pretty good.
I'm good old country boy.
I've never done really anythingwrong.
I'm pretty fit.
Um so show up to the testingand there's like 400 people
there.
I'm like, oh my goodness, Idon't know if I'm going to make
this.
I know that feeling, but Godhas a plan and I made it.
That's awesome.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (06:38):
Same kind of situation for me when I
test it in 07.
I show up out there to thetrack and I think there's
probably a little over 300people that day and I think
they're hiring four spots.
And I'm looking around and someof these guys I'm like this guy
could play in the NFL.
Community Outreach Coordin (06:54):
Like this guy.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (06:54):
look at these athletes, you know we get
out on the track and I was notin the best running shape at the
time.
I was okay because I was young.
But there's guys out thererunning.
You know nine and a half minutemile and a half, I'm like.
Community Outreach Coordinato (07:08):
I have no chance.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (07:11):
But, like you said, you got to go
through the whole process.
School Resource Officer An (07:12):
Yeah , all the physical stuff.
Officer Longton, it was eitherhim or I coming in first and
second and I'm like man you gotto get out of here man.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (07:23):
I'm trying to win all these.
Oh sorry, Go ahead.
School Resource Officer (07:31):
You've always been kind of a runner,
though, right, yes, I'm good atit.
I hate it, though.
Like I could go out and runright now and run a fairly good
mile time.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (07:37):
Yeah, like our PT test we do.
You just keep going.
School Resource Officer A (07:40):
How's he getting all these reps?
I don't do cardio on my own atall, yeah, so what do you do now
for the department?
Uh, currently I'm I work in asa school resource officer.
I'm at the Lowry freshmancenter.
Uh, when I first started, Istarted off at Erickson.
I was at the middle school.
Uh at Erickson for uh fouryears and then moved over to
(08:03):
Curtis middle school.
Um moved over there when my sonwas in eighth grade and uh, so
I got to mess with him.
Um was that at Curtis for fiveyears and uh, I just finished my
second year at the freshmancenter.
So going on my third year there.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (08:21):
So were you at the middle school with
Peyton, your daughter.
I was um.
School Resource Officer Antho (08:23):
I was at the middle school with
Peyton, your daughter.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (08:24):
I was I was at the middle school with
her.
I bet she loved that.
School Resource Officer Ant (08:25):
And then at the time, Sergeant
Collier was the supervisor forthe freshman center.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (08:33):
He's like an uncle to her.
Well, yeah.
School Resource Officer An (08:35):
Well , he asked me to move up to the
freshman center.
That's why I'm there now, andit just so happened to be her
freshman year.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (08:42):
Oh my goodness.
School Resource Officer Ant (08:45):
She can't get away from dad.
She didn't mind it as much.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (08:48):
My son was the one that didn't like it.
School Resource Officer Anth (08:50):
He didn't like all the extra
attention.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (08:52):
He's kind of shy, oh yeah.
School Resource Officer An (08:53):
Yeah , yeah, I messed with him the
first day of school, his eighthgrade year.
Community Outreach Coordina (08:57):
Did you?
I told him.
School Resource Officer Antho (08:58):
I told him.
I was like hey, if you, if youignore me in the hallway, I'm
gonna make this bad for you.
So first, first period bellrings and I see him in the
hallway and he ignores me.
So walk into the class andintroduce myself as the uh new
sro and it's like oh, by the way, anybody want to see baby
pictures of caden?
Officer Sam Rippamonti (09:15):
oh no his face got red, poor guy.
But you know what he'll grow up?
He'll do the same thing to hiskids one day.
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
And he was a big wrestler inhigh school, right.
School Resource Officer An (09:26):
Yeah , he was Wrestled.
He got into it.
We always thought he would begood.
My wife and I tried to convincehim to do it when he was little
and I think it was fourth gradewhen he finally decided to try
it out.
And he tried it with a bunch offriends, friends and they all
convinced him to do it.
That's what it takes and he wasthe only one that stuck with it
(09:49):
and wrestled for Allen HighSchool, which is one of the best
wrestling high schools in thestate of Texas.
They just recently won their15th team state title.
Yeah, my son was part of theone of, I think it was after his
senior year.
The next year they they didn'twin, they got second Uh, and
(10:11):
then they got first last year.
So they got re reclaimed thestate title.
Um, but uh, yeah, he wrestleduh four years on varsity and uh
three times state placer.
His uh sophomore year he gotfifth.
Uh junior year he got sixth,and senior year he got second at
state that's impressive, is hestill wrestling?
(10:31):
now uh, he, he just picked itback up.
Um, he wrestled last year for,uh, texas a&m.
Um, they have a club team, yeah, and so he qualified.
He picked it up like with threeweeks left of the season and it
was fun to watch him because hewas still pretty dominant, but
if it got out of the first orsecond period he was gassed.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (10:54):
A little gassed.
School Resource Officer (10:55):
That's how I would be too, but he
qualified for the nationaltournament and went two and two
there, misplacing by two roundsWow.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (11:04):
So I have a last last year, my
seventh grader.
They like them to do anothersport other than just football,
so he's a lineman.
It's my only child that's kindof more like a lineman.
And uh, the offensive linecoach is the wrestling coach.
He's like peyton, I want you tocome wrestle.
We had no idea and he broughthome the, what they call it, a
(11:27):
singlet oh yeah oh, he's at thatthere's no way I'm doing this,
yeah that was one reason why hedidn't want to do it.
School Resource Officer Ant (11:32):
I'm not wearing this in front of
people because he's bigger, full.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (11:36):
I said come on, try the singlet, and I
want to see it.
So finally convinced him.
I was like, oh, it's fine, youlook just like the rest of them
out there.
But we showed up in our firsttournament, never wrestled.
We were a small school out inGunner.
You know we come to a wrestlingtournament here in Allen.
I'm like man, some of thesekids are like seventh grade and
(11:58):
they're just throwing boysaround everywhere and I think he
had four matches that day.
He came out and he won thefirst one, I was like hey, maybe
this is his sport.
Then he went 0 for 3 on the nextthree and he came out and he
was like dad, I'm done withwrestling.
This is terrible.
First and only wrestlingtournament.
School Resource Officer An (12:12):
That was it.
He's like I'm done.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (12:14):
Not doing this again.
School Resource Officer An (12:15):
Yeah , it's a one for him.
It's a tough sport.
He'll wrestle me now, and afterabout the first two minutes I
give up because I don't have thestamina.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (12:28):
You got to pin him quick or it's over oh
no, he's stronger than me now.
School Resource Officer Anth (12:32):
Oh no, You've reached that point.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (12:34):
Oh yeah, that's me.
You know my oldest.
He's in college as well and Iget into it back and forth and
I'm like man, if he really wantsto go at it, I'm gonna have to
try to knock him out like rightoff the bat, because he's bigger
, stronger and faster than menow well, I'll tell him if we're
(12:55):
gonna fight for real, I'm gonnacheat, so I'll win.
No fair fight right so you'vebeen in schools for how many
years?
Uh going on my 13th year, but Ifeel like I can't go anywhere
now and and have a, you know, ateenager come up to me and be
like do you know, officer garcia, it happens a lot all, all the
time every event we go to,there's always a young kid.
School Resource Officer (13:17):
They're like oh, officer garcia does he
work with you guys?
Yeah, I uh, I love what I donow.
Um, I I didn't growing up inOklahoma, I didn't realize the
time and was never around, andso I kind of I kind of know how
(13:47):
it feels to to be feeling likeyou're alone while you're in
school, and so I would go, I goaround and I I talked to every
single kid and I I try to makethem know that that I'm there
for them, that I love them, Icare for them and if they ever
need anything.
I'm here for them.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (14:04):
We're not exaggerating, it's
everywhere.
Community Outreach Coordin (14:06):
Yeah , lots of love from everyone.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (14:08):
Yeah, and it's the parents too.
They come up and they havenothing but positive things to
say.
So, whatever it is you're doingin the schools and you're
definitely making a positiveimpact.
So thank you, keep doing that.
It takes a.
It takes a special person.
You know my wife's a teacherperson.
You know my wife's a teacher.
Your wife's been in educationfor a long time.
School Resource Officer An (14:26):
Like I don't know how y'all do it,
you have to be, you have to bebuilt for that oh yeah, because,
uh, there's a lot of energygoing through those halls of
those schools there's a lot ofenergy, lots, lots of smiles all
day long and lots of talking.
That goes all then.
I don't like to talk a lot, butyeah, I feel like.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (14:46):
I've seen you in some like dance-offs
and stuff at pep rallies andthings like that you know I'm
not Barbie boxes and differentpictures.
School Resource Officer An (14:53):
Yeah , you get with my friends that I
hang out with a lot and they'lltell you I'm not a dancer, but
I will try.
I've seen you outside of work,I know.
Community Outreach Coord (15:05):
That's funny, so um what about my
Texas, since you're talkingabout?
Uh, okay.
School Resource Officer Anth (15:11):
Um , yeah, so uh, in in 2023,.
Uh, I had just gotten off workand was, uh, this was December
31st, so, uh, I had just gottenoff work, was going to a friend
of mine's house for a New Year'sEve party and my family were.
They were already at the party,so I'm going to meet up with
them, and my Texas by JoshAbbott band was playing on the
(15:36):
radio, and so I'm like man, I'mgoing to do everything in this
song in 2024.
And so got there and ball dropsand all that, and I tell my wife
my plan and I I don't know ifshe thought that I was serious
um, until the first event, andthen, uh did, did everything in
(15:59):
the song and uh, the last thingthat I did was, uh, the last two
things.
Uh had to go to el pasoo and seethe sunset and then I drove
down from El Paso down to BigBend and hiked a couple of
trails in Big Bend and that wasthe last two things.
And, man, it was awesome.
I kind of want to do it again.
Community Outreach Coordina (16:17):
Did you do it all by yourself or
did your family join you?
School Resource Officer A (16:20):
There were several things that I did
by myself, were several thingsthat I've, uh did by myself.
Um, the, the one that that Iwould say sucked the most was uh
, and, and the actual eventitself was awesome, but no one
went with me.
So I got up at four 30 in themorning, uh, on a Saturday
morning, drove down to leakylakey.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (16:41):
however, you, say it Lakey Texas, Lakey,
Texas.
School Resource Officer Antho (16:43):
I know where he's going and
floated the Frio River, floatedthe river for four hours, and so
I don't know how long does ittake to get down there.
It's about a six and a halfhour drive probably so, drove
there six and a half hours,floated the river for four hours
and drove back all in one day.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (17:01):
I just got back from there a few weeks
ago and, yeah, the Frio River isamazing, never gone and floated
by myself, but I remember Istarted getting texts from
Anthony asking questions aboutthe Frio.
I was like he's about to markan item off his list.
School Resource Officer An (17:16):
Yeah , several of those events were
very fun.
I would say probably about 30%of the things I'd done by myself
and, uh, most of the things mywife went with me.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (17:31):
Do you know how many items it was in
that song?
Ooh.
School Resource Officer Anth (17:34):
Uh .
I think around 30 something,but it's spread out all over.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (17:38):
Texas.
Oh yeah, so yeah, it definitelytook some time to Took some
time.
So yeah, it definitely tooksome time to go through it.
It took some time.
School Resource Officer Ant (17:44):
And you know some of the events,
like I had to go listen to RogerKreger, had to go Pat Green.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (17:51):
You just had to go do this stuff.
School Resource Officer An (17:52):
Yeah , had to go and you know, but so
I mean those I had to go on acertain date.
Yeah that's true, larry JoeTaylor Fest.
The fireworks shows Fireworksshow.
So that thing was awesome, likeif you have not seen the
fireworks on Lake Possum Kingdom, you got to go.
It's awesome.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (18:11):
Now I kind of want to do the song.
I want to do all these items.
So now that that's done, whatare you on to now?
School Resource Officer (18:18):
You're not someone that sits still
Well because I love to travel Idecided when I went to Big Bend
you go through Marfa, texas oh,that's cool and they have a
beautiful courthouse down thereand it's just right off the main
street and so when I wasdriving I looked over and I saw
it and at the time I didn'tthink anything of it.
I was like, all right, when Icome back by, I'll stop by and
(18:41):
go take a look.
And I hung out too much in BigBend.
Stop by and go take a look.
And um, I just I hung out toomuch in big bend and so I had to
hurry and get back.
And so on the flight back to toDallas, to Allen, um, I was
like you know what?
In 2025, I guess, uh, I'm goingto go visit a County
courthouses on a square, um, soI've been been to.
(19:02):
What is?
What month is it?
We're in now seven.
So I've been to what month isit?
We're in now seven.
So I've been to seven countycourthouses already.
I think my favorite is SulphurSprings.
Community Outreach Coordin (19:13):
That county courthouse.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (19:13):
That's not too far from home.
School Resource Officer An (19:14):
Yeah , I went to that one with my
wife and just the squares.
It's a good square and so mywife enjoyed it.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (19:23):
She used to go shopping.
She said yeah, oh yeah, shedidn't enjoy the last one too
much.
It was out in the middle ofnowhere, not a whole lot around.
Yeah, clarendon texas, I don'teven know where that one is.
School Resource Officer Anth (19:34):
Uh , it's, it's uh, about an hour
shy of getting to amarillo.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (19:38):
Oh, my goodness.
School Resource Officer Anth (19:40):
So we did that in one day.
Did that drive?
Yeah, and she doesn't.
Well, she drove back home onthat one because I was tired,
but she doesn't typically.
I do all the driving.
She just gets to ride.
Yeah, she just gets to ride.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (19:51):
It's lunch and shopping spree.
I like it, so you do thecourthouses.
What about?
You have this little group ofguys, right?
I shouldn't say little.
A couple of them, you know,work for the department, but
yeah so, uh, I would call it agang, but it's more like I guess
(20:15):
we'll call it a club I guesswe'll call it a club.
School Resource Officer An (20:18):
Yeah , uh, so it's called river
banking um and river bankingboys.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (20:22):
It's all .
School Resource Officer An (20:23):
It's all guys at the moment, all
guys most of the guys are areallen pd guys.
Uh, we have one mckinney pd guyand then we have, uh, uh, one
of my best friends that's not inlaw enforcement, he's in, he's
in the group, and then uh, thenanother guy that's not law
enforcement.
So, um, but yeah, I mean we justwe travel to different rivers
(20:45):
and um mostly in Texas mostly inTexas, but we've gone to
Missouri, we've gone to Arkansas, we've gone to Oklahoma um,
trying to plan a trip up toTennessee here pretty soon.
Um, so we've done the, the twotoughest rivers in Texas, uh,
the devil's river down in DelRio and then the uh just
recently did the Pecos river.
(21:06):
Um, it's near Del Rio, butComstock and Pandale um kind of
out in the middle of nowhere.
Uh, that one kicked my tail.
Uh, I cried a few times on theinside.
Um, well, if I had cell serviceI probably would have called my
mom.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (21:21):
You can't just turn around and go
back.
School Resource Officer Anth (21:25):
No , no, you can turn around and go
back.
No, you can't turn around andgo back.
You can't go with the flow onthat one.
So it was rough.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (21:29):
So y'all just put up a tent camp out.
Yeah, yeah, Sleep under thestars.
School Resource Offic (21:33):
Riverbank .
You just throw up a tent theresleep under the stars.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (21:36):
Is it catch what you eat, kind of
thing.
School Resource Officer Anth (21:38):
Oh we've not done that yet.
What I am.
I am, uh, my nickname on in thegroup is cookie, so I do all
the cooking.
Um, I love, love to cook.
Uh, so I mean, we'll do steaks,we'll do barbecue pork chops,
we've done jambalaya.
Uh, we've done shrimp bowls.
Um, I mean, whatever.
Whatever the boys want, I'llcook for them.
Community Outreach Coordi (22:00):
Don't you record these trips?
School Resource Officer An (22:02):
Yeah , yeah, uh, we just started a
YouTube channel.
Don't you record these trips?
Yeah, we just started a YouTubechannel.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (22:22):
So far, we only have one Brazos River
trip on the channel, and justrecently the Pecos River, which
again, there's a lot of contentin that video, but not great
content because I'm justlearning on how to do YouTube
and things of that nature.
School Resource Officer Anth (22:27):
So do you, do you go, do you go
down river and set up cameras?
Officer Sam Rippamonti (22:28):
Not yet.
If you do that, maybe just waiton your guys to show up.
Yeah, yeah, not be in the shotwith it.
School Resource Officer Ant (22:34):
But , but yeah, so the rivers in
Texas we've done the Brazos.
We typically go and put in justright off, right outside of
Lake Possum Kingdom, and we'lluh that one um is about a 20
mile section, and so we'll dothat.
Usually when we do that and wewill do it, uh, into two nights,
three days, uh, we've done.
(22:56):
Uh, what else have we done inTexas?
Uh, devil's River We've doneonce Pecos, pecos, pecos.
That was like a five-night orsix days.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (23:06):
Oh wow, that's a long trip, yeah.
School Resource Officer An (23:08):
That one.
That's the longest river we'vedone.
It was.
The total length is about 65miles and then, like once you
factor in paddling sideways andback up river and all that, I
think Officer Ramirez, I thinkhe recorded 70-something total
miles, or almost 80-somethingmiles that he paddled.
Wow, All in all.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (23:29):
Sounds exhausting, it was.
Are you in?
School Resource Officer (23:31):
kayaks In kayaks, yeah.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (23:33):
Are they the pedal ones, or you have to
paddle?
No, no.
School Resource Officer Ant (23:36):
You got to paddle.
You can't be cheating out there.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (23:39):
I'd have to have the foot pedals.
Can't be cheating out there.
No, dude, let's have a break,yeah.
School Resource Officer Ant (23:45):
But , no we have a good time out
there.
I mean, it's all about gettingout there.
Most of the rivers that we goto there's no self-service, and
so I mean you're kind of off thegrid.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (23:55):
It's a good way to disconnect, I guess,
oh yeah, disconnect.
But y'all smell great whenyou're driving home from the end
of your river trip.
All in a truck together, yeah.
School Resource Officer Anth (24:04):
So May 6th two years ago, myself
and Sergeant Cleveland andOfficer Forcan we were on the
river, and typically you don'tget any cell service out there,
and all of a sudden SergeantCleveland's phone starts ringing
and it's his wife letting himknow about the outlet mall.
And so that was like a godthing that in that one little
(24:27):
section area he was able to getservice and we were able to
figure out what was going on.
It was we were too far away tolike be able to hurry up and get
off the river.
Um, and I don't know if youremember that day, but a big
storm came and so we got caughton the river in the big storm.
Oh yeah, what a.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (24:44):
What a day, oh yeah.
Community Outreach Coordina (24:47):
How long have you had?
School Resource Officer An (24:48):
this group like traveling.
Oh.
So, um, I, I, I started this uh, uh around COVID timeframe.
Um, so I had, I had gone on auh on a trip on to the Buffalo
river in Arkansas, uh, with oneof uh, our former officers that
uh that when he worked inRichardson.
(25:08):
There's a big group that goesout there and does the Buffalo
River once a year.
And I got an invite.
It was myself and OfficerCollier and Sergeant Cleveland
and at the time, sergeantDeBlanc.
But I went out there and I lovedit and I was like, all right,
I'm going to get into this.
But I had young kids and sothey took all my time.
(25:33):
And so once COVID happened, Igot more time freed up, started
looking at it and found that theBrazos River has a shuttle
service out there and so wentout there.
The first time I went it wasjust me, a friend of mine, uh,
my son and his son, and then Ikept going back out there and
(25:53):
was loving it.
So then I was like let's starta group up.
So there's, I don't know, 13, Ithink uh in our group right now
.
Community Outreach Coordinat (26:02):
Uh actually leaving.
School Resource Office (26:04):
Actually leaving to go to Junction,
texas, to do the South LlanoRiver and there's six of us
going down there tomorrow.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (26:13):
How many nights?
School Resource Officer An (26:14):
This will be three nights, four days
to go.
I think it's going to beroughly about 16 miles.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (26:20):
You get all your meals planned up.
School Resource Officer An (26:21):
Yeah , yeah, so we'll have.
Usually steak is the firstnight, so we'll do steak and
roasted potatoes with jalapenosin there.
Y'all are roughing it up Someroasted corn on the open flames
and whatever else the boys wantas a side, and night two will be
chicken and sausage jambalaya.
(26:42):
And then night three, we'regoing to have a Frito chili pie.
I'm going to make some chiliout there and you can either eat
chili by itself or have theFrito pie.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (26:52):
That all sounds really good.
I'm going to show up for dinnertime.
I don't want to do the floatingor the kayaking and then we're
just fishing all day.
Are you catching any fish onthese ships?
Oh yeah, yeah.
Well, some of us, let's ask thereal question.
School Resource Officer An (27:03):
Some of us.
There's a few that arecastermans and then a few of us
that are fishermen.
That would be me.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (27:10):
I would just be flinging it just talking
to everybody Sounds like it's alot of fun, though.
School Resource Officer Anth (27:16):
It is a lot of fun.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (27:26):
I'm sure it's exhausting, but a lot of
good numbers.
So shifting gears back to towork.
We're gonna talk about work alittle bit in the schools.
You're gonna be at the freshmancenter again this year.
School Resource Officer Ant (27:30):
Yes , sir, at the freshman center.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (27:32):
So what is something that you would want
to tell the community, withschool getting ready to ramp up
and um, yeah.
School Resource Officer Anth (27:41):
So , uh, one of our, our biggest
issues there, uh, is, uh, thingsgetting stolen out of the
locker rooms, um, and then,typically, when you go and ask
the athlete like, well, was your, was your stuff locked?
No, I didn't lock it, I didn't,you know, I didn't have time or
, um, don't know how to open mylock, um, so I would highly
(28:02):
encourage everybody I, I speakto, uh, the football team, um, I
don't speak to the other sports, but I speak to the football
team and I try to encourage themhey, use that lock.
If it's valuable to you, it'sgoing to be valuable to somebody
else, and so lock your stuff.
And that would be one of thebiggest things that I would, I
would try to stress is theresomething new you can share with
(28:23):
the unit like?
Community Outreach Coord (28:24):
what's new with the unit Like?
School Resource Officer (28:26):
what's new in your unit currently?
Uh, what's new in our unit?
Um, well, not not much that Icould think of.
We, we just started the uh, theworking five days a week and,
um, building a comp bank, and sohaving the summer off has has
been uh, uh awesome, but at thesame time, uh, I'm spending more
(28:46):
money because I'm you're goingto all these portals?
Community Outreach Coordin (28:49):
well , that I got more free time, so
I'm like I need to work and youguys train during the summer,
don't you?
School Resource Officer An (28:56):
yeah , we trained during the summer.
We recently, just uh last week,uh went to our our national
conference.
Um unfortunately, it was heldin uh the state of Texas this
year, so we didn't get to reallytravel.
But it's a great time gettingto meet and conversate with
officers from other states andkind of see what their problems
(29:17):
are and how they're handlingtheir issues and vice versa,
them asking us and stuff likethat.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (29:23):
I think I saw a picture of you cooking
Was it jambalaya?
In the parking lot.
School Resource Officer An (29:27):
Yeah .
So we did jambalaya on Tuesday.
No, yeah, tuesday did jambalayaout in the parking lot and then
on Thursday I did taco salad.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (29:39):
And where was this at?
School Resource Officer Anth (29:41):
At the Gaylord in Grapevine.
Oh, I'm sure they love that.
They didn't know, they don'tneed to know, don't listen.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (29:49):
That's funny, so are you ready?
School Resource Officer Ant (29:51):
for school to start back.
I'm ready.
I wish we went to schoolyear-round.
I mean have some breaks.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (29:56):
But Well in the past y'all worked patrol
in the summertime right.
School Resource Officer An (30:06):
Yeah , either patrol or uh, the, the
junior police academy that wehost, um, it was, it was about
50, 50.
Uh, half of the unit would gowork patrol and half the unit
would work the camps.
So it's more involvement in thecamp now, since y'all aren't
now yeah, now, now everybodyworked the camp this summer, um
that's kind of nice too, yeahyeah, we only had three camps
this summer and um they were,they were all full so yeah, we
see, we see the Eventbrite stuff.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (30:27):
It fills up quick.
Community Outreach Coordina (30:27):
The kids love it, oh yeah.
School Resource Officer An (30:29):
Yeah , and it's funny that you'll get
some of the kids that will doit all the way up through their
senior year and they'll comeback every year knowing that for
the most part, it's all goingto be the same thing that they
did last year.
I try to change a few things uphere and there.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (30:45):
Do they still wear the drunk goggles?
School Resource Officer An (30:47):
Yeah , yeah, we don't have the golf
cart anymore.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (30:50):
We have this little bicycle thing I've
ridden that little bike.
Community Outreach Coordin (30:53):
Yeah , that thing looks fun Do those
kids end up in the Exploreprogram a lot of times, or how
does that work?
School Resource Officer An (31:00):
Yeah , we push that big time, and so
we will have a few that willjoin through there.
Jacob Groves he was one of thekids that came through police
camp.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (31:12):
Now in our police academy.
School Resource Officer Ant (31:13):
Now he's in the police academy
trying to be an officer, but hejoined the Explorers.
Community Outreach Coordin (31:19):
What do they do?
What do they do?
Do they learn kind of whatofficers are doing?
School Resource Officer An (31:23):
Yeah , so when I first, when I first
became a school resource officerand got involved with the
Junior Police Academy, it wasmore just like classroom stuff,
and so I tried to make it moremore kind of like a junior
police academy where they wouldlearn We'll teach them a few of
(31:44):
the laws and teach them some ofthe techniques and stuff that we
do like building searches andstuff like that, and then then
we'll put them through scenarios.
Community Outreach Coordinat (31:52):
Um , and they, they love the
scenario day yeah, because werecently just hosted our own um
explorers, um what was it called?
School Resource Officer Anth (32:00):
oh uh, their competition.
Right, it was a competitionthat we had here.
Community Outreach Coordin (32:03):
That was a long.
School Resource Officer An (32:05):
Yeah , I used to be involved with the
art explorer program, um, andthen I haven't done that in a
few years just cause it wastaking up too much of my time
and I had other things going on,but uh.
But yeah, those explorercompetitions they're awesome
it's.
It's good to see kids from allacross the state come and
compete against each other andsome of them I think would be
(32:26):
would do better, some of ourofficers.
So yeah, it was rough.
I, I, this one, I was an actorfor the active shooter and yeah,
some of those teams were prettygood.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (32:38):
Yeah, I was an actor in a domestic and.
I was the aggressoror, so I wasthat.
I was getting thrown aroundhigh school, kids all night some
of them don't look like highschool kids.
School Resource Officer (32:50):
There's some, yeah, some of them pretty
strong big old boys coming inthere and just picking me up
like nothing.
Yeah, I was uh on one of thescenarios.
Uh, he, he had me proned out onthe floor and then all next
thing I know he's like jumpingdown on my back and I'm like oh
no.
And he was a big boy, so it wasa lot of weight.
Community Outreach Coordin (33:09):
It's just interesting to see how
each team they do the scenarioso differently than each other,
and it's pretty interesting towatch.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (33:18):
Yeah, but it's such an upper hand if
you want to have a career in lawenforcement one day, going
through the camps and then goinginto the Explorers.
It's almost like cheating whenyou go into the police academy.
Community Outreach Coor (33:32):
There's a cheat code.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (33:33):
Yeah, you have so much knowledge about
the profession already.
It has to make it much easierand less stressful.
School Resource Officer A (33:41):
There was nothing like that in my
high school.
Community Outreach Coordina (33:43):
And they get to meet our officers
and have those connections.
School Resource Officer Ant (33:45):
Yes .
Community Outreach Coordina (33:47):
And it's really good for them.
School Resource Officer An (33:48):
Yeah , you know Officer Groves.
He worked in the jail, but Imean just through his explorer
time, I mean he already knew abunch of the officers and then
working in the jail got to knowalmost everybody else.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (34:01):
So definitely a cheat code.
Community Outreach Coordinato (34:05):
I used him for undercover tobacco
steam when he was in highschool.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (34:07):
He was just a young kid and nobody
would sell to him because helooked like he just looked like
a baby going in there.
And now he's recruiting thepolice academy for us he
graduated with my son all grownup.
But, anthony, we reallyappreciate you coming out today
and talking to us, thank you.
School Resource Officer A (34:21):
Thank you for having me.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (34:23):
We're excited for the school year.
What's the Eagles look likethis year?
I know you're always into thefootball team.
School Resource Officer Anth (34:29):
So yeah, I know the offensive line
is a big concern.
Defense should be pretty strongQuarterback.
It just depends on which onethey go with.
We did have a kid move in nottoo long ago, so he's a freshman
, but he's supposed to be a stud, so I don't know.
We'll see what happens.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (34:49):
It's always exciting to watch the
Allen Eagles play on Fridaynight.
Oh yeah, we'll be there withyou now that I don't have one
playing in high school.
So thank you again.
Community Outreach Coordina (34:58):
Yes , we really appreciate you
coming on today.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (35:00):
If you'd like to learn more about our
school resource officer orupcoming events in the Allen
Police Department, go to ourwebsite, allenpoliceorg.
Community Outreach Coordina (35:08):
And make sure to like and subscribe
, and if you have any questions,leave them down in the comments
below.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (35:12):
We'll see you next time.
Community Outreach Coordina (35:14):
Bye .
Welcome back to another episode of Allen
Police.
Behind the Badge, we're yourhosts, officer Sam Ripamani and
Alexis Birmingham.
Community Outreach Coordina (00:09):
And today our special guest is
Officer Anthony Garcia.
Thank you for joining us today.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (00:13):
You're welcome, hey Anthony.
So before we get into what youdo for the department, we want
to start off.
You've been here what 16 yearsnow.
School Resource Offic (00:24):
September will be 17.
17 years been here.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (00:26):
what 16 years?
Now, September will be 17.
17 years, oh man, time flies.
So, in that 17 years, can yougive us a good story, something
that you've encountered whileworking here?
School Resource Officer A (00:38):
There was one night my first few
years I worked deep nights.
And there was one night I wasassigned up in the northeast
part of town and we kept getting911 hangups at this one
residence.
It was at the time OfficerCollier and I.
(00:58):
We responded, guy wouldn'tanswer the door, said he was
okay, but I mean, he had beencalling 911 like multiple times
during the day, and so wedecided to investigate a little
bit further and, um, eventuallywe made it into the house
through the garage and, uh, wedetained the guy.
(01:19):
Um, and at that time officerCollier decided to do a
protective sweep of the houseand he came back down and was
like hey, we got to get out ofhere now.
And in my head I'm thinkingthis guy's already killed
someone.
And so we get him out of thehouse, get him in the back of my
car and he's trying to speak tome the entire time and he's
(01:42):
speaking like gibberish and soI'm not understanding him.
So, long story short, we get,get him arrested.
He, he had a grow house, um,growing marijuana all throughout
the house.
I didn't know that at the timeand, uh, it goes to court and
after it's all said and done, um, both parties are about to rest
the case.
The guy's like I want to, Iwant to testify.
(02:04):
So he gets up on the stands andhe goes.
Well, because in my report Iput I was having a hard time
understanding what he was saying, and so he goes.
Well, you know, your honor,hispanic officers have a hard
time understanding English, andso this is why Officer Garcia
was not able to understand methat night.
And in my head I'm trying notto laugh out loud in court, but
(02:26):
in my head I'm thinking dude,I've already gone up and
testified.
The judge has heard me speak,I'm pretty sure he knows that I
can speak and understand Englishfairly well.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (02:38):
Wow, so do you speak Spanish?
No yeah that's a, that's hetried, I mean he tried A for
effort, I guess right.
Wow, so never figured out whyhe was calling 911 or anything.
School Resource Officer An (02:52):
Well , I think he partook in all the
things that he was growing andstarted hallucinating.
One of the reasons why we gotinto the house is because
Officer Carrier went around tothe garage area and I was like
around the kitchen area of thehouse and I could see a
silhouette of him and he wasyelling still and he said
(03:16):
something about I'm going to cutyour fingers off and I didn't
know if he was talking to me orif he was talking to somebody
else on the side of the house.
So that gave us our exigency toget into the house.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (03:26):
Wow, you just never know what a 911
hang-up call is going to turninto.
So where are you from?
School Resource Offi (03:33):
Originally from.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (03:34):
Oklahoma .
What part of Oklahoma are?
School Resource Officer Ant (03:35):
you from the south central part
Grew up not too far from.
In the country Grew up not toofar from Lake Texoma so spent
many, many weekends out on thelake, lots of camping.
I graduated high school fromMedill High School in Medill,
Oklahoma.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (03:54):
How many were in your graduating class?
School Resource Offi (03:57):
Graduating class was around 65.
So very, very small.
Everybody knew everybody.
Kind of like Allen High School,right oh yeah, I know, I tell
my kids all the time I'm likethere's no way I could have
survived in Allen High School.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (04:10):
No, it's like it's a college.
That's what it feels like.
School Resource Officer Anth (04:13):
Oh yeah, so many so many people.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (04:15):
So, Medill, what brought you to
Texas?
School Resource Officer Anth (04:18):
So after I graduated high school,
I decided to join the US Army,went off to basic training, got
stationed at Fort Hood.
From there I went to Bosnia forabout I think it's somewhere
between six to eight months,went back to Fort Hood and then
got reassigned to Fort Knox,kentucky, as a permanent duty
(04:39):
station.
During that time I got marriedSeptember or July 4th of 2001.
And, if you know, not too longafter that, september 11th
happened and I told my wife I'mlike, hey, we're not going to be
here much longer.
And so the army sent me back toFort Hood and in March of 2004,
(05:03):
I left to go to Iraq and cameback the beginning of April of
2005.
Wow, so after that I became arecruiter.
Because they thought I spokeSpanish, they sent me to the
heavily Hispanic area of Dallasto recruit.
And I country boy, I'm notliving in Dallas, and I'm a
country boy, I'm not living inDallas.
(05:23):
So we found Allen because itwas small, and my wife fell in
love with it.
She got a job teaching in theschool district and we decided
to make Allen our home.
So when it was time for mycontract to expire and get out,
I was looking for a job.
And here you are, yeah.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (05:43):
And you've been with Allen since.
You say was it eight 2008?
Yeah, so just to, I started in07.
You were right after me.
I remember y'all were a biggroup that kind of hired in at
the same time.
School Resource Officer Antho (05:54):
I think there was eight or nine
of us yeah, I remember them alot of y'all are still here too,
so that's awesome yeah, there's, I think there's three of us
still, three or four of us stillhere, not as many as I thought,
but yeah, uh, yeah.
So that is another story.
Like went to when I firstapplied there's, they're only
going to hire two and I'mthinking all right, my odds are
(06:16):
pretty good.
I'm good old country boy.
I've never done really anythingwrong.
I'm pretty fit.
Um so show up to the testingand there's like 400 people
there.
I'm like, oh my goodness, Idon't know if I'm going to make
this.
I know that feeling, but Godhas a plan and I made it.
That's awesome.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (06:38):
Same kind of situation for me when I
test it in 07.
I show up out there to thetrack and I think there's
probably a little over 300people that day and I think
they're hiring four spots.
And I'm looking around and someof these guys I'm like this guy
could play in the NFL.
Community Outreach Coordin (06:54):
Like this guy.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (06:54):
look at these athletes, you know we get
out on the track and I was notin the best running shape at the
time.
I was okay because I was young.
But there's guys out thererunning.
You know nine and a half minutemile and a half, I'm like.
Community Outreach Coordinato (07:08):
I have no chance.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (07:11):
But, like you said, you got to go
through the whole process.
School Resource Officer An (07:12):
Yeah , all the physical stuff.
Officer Longton, it was eitherhim or I coming in first and
second and I'm like man you gotto get out of here man.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (07:23):
I'm trying to win all these.
Oh sorry, Go ahead.
School Resource Officer (07:31):
You've always been kind of a runner,
though, right, yes, I'm good atit.
I hate it, though.
Like I could go out and runright now and run a fairly good
mile time.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (07:37):
Yeah, like our PT test we do.
You just keep going.
School Resource Officer A (07:40):
How's he getting all these reps?
I don't do cardio on my own atall, yeah, so what do you do now
for the department?
Uh, currently I'm I work in asa school resource officer.
I'm at the Lowry freshmancenter.
Uh, when I first started, Istarted off at Erickson.
I was at the middle school.
Uh at Erickson for uh fouryears and then moved over to
(08:03):
Curtis middle school.
Um moved over there when my sonwas in eighth grade and uh, so
I got to mess with him.
Um was that at Curtis for fiveyears and uh, I just finished my
second year at the freshmancenter.
So going on my third year there.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (08:21):
So were you at the middle school with
Peyton, your daughter.
I was um.
School Resource Officer Antho (08:23):
I was at the middle school with
Peyton, your daughter.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (08:24):
I was I was at the middle school with
her.
I bet she loved that.
School Resource Officer Ant (08:25):
And then at the time, Sergeant
Collier was the supervisor forthe freshman center.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (08:33):
He's like an uncle to her.
Well, yeah.
School Resource Officer An (08:35):
Well , he asked me to move up to the
freshman center.
That's why I'm there now, andit just so happened to be her
freshman year.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (08:42):
Oh my goodness.
School Resource Officer Ant (08:45):
She can't get away from dad.
She didn't mind it as much.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (08:48):
My son was the one that didn't like it.
School Resource Officer Anth (08:50):
He didn't like all the extra
attention.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (08:52):
He's kind of shy, oh yeah.
School Resource Officer An (08:53):
Yeah , yeah, I messed with him the
first day of school, his eighthgrade year.
Community Outreach Coordina (08:57):
Did you?
I told him.
School Resource Officer Antho (08:58):
I told him.
I was like hey, if you, if youignore me in the hallway, I'm
gonna make this bad for you.
So first, first period bellrings and I see him in the
hallway and he ignores me.
So walk into the class andintroduce myself as the uh new
sro and it's like oh, by the way, anybody want to see baby
pictures of caden?
Officer Sam Rippamonti (09:15):
oh no his face got red, poor guy.
But you know what he'll grow up?
He'll do the same thing to hiskids one day.
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
And he was a big wrestler inhigh school, right.
School Resource Officer An (09:26):
Yeah , he was Wrestled.
He got into it.
We always thought he would begood.
My wife and I tried to convincehim to do it when he was little
and I think it was fourth gradewhen he finally decided to try
it out.
And he tried it with a bunch offriends, friends and they all
convinced him to do it.
That's what it takes and he wasthe only one that stuck with it
(09:49):
and wrestled for Allen HighSchool, which is one of the best
wrestling high schools in thestate of Texas.
They just recently won their15th team state title.
Yeah, my son was part of theone of, I think it was after his
senior year.
The next year they they didn'twin, they got second Uh, and
(10:11):
then they got first last year.
So they got re reclaimed thestate title.
Um, but uh, yeah, he wrestleduh four years on varsity and uh
three times state placer.
His uh sophomore year he gotfifth.
Uh junior year he got sixth,and senior year he got second at
state that's impressive, is hestill wrestling?
(10:31):
now uh, he, he just picked itback up.
Um, he wrestled last year for,uh, texas a&m.
Um, they have a club team, yeah, and so he qualified.
He picked it up like with threeweeks left of the season and it
was fun to watch him because hewas still pretty dominant, but
if it got out of the first orsecond period he was gassed.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (10:54):
A little gassed.
School Resource Officer (10:55):
That's how I would be too, but he
qualified for the nationaltournament and went two and two
there, misplacing by two roundsWow.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (11:04):
So I have a last last year, my
seventh grader.
They like them to do anothersport other than just football,
so he's a lineman.
It's my only child that's kindof more like a lineman.
And uh, the offensive linecoach is the wrestling coach.
He's like peyton, I want you tocome wrestle.
We had no idea and he broughthome the, what they call it, a
(11:27):
singlet oh yeah oh, he's at thatthere's no way I'm doing this,
yeah that was one reason why hedidn't want to do it.
School Resource Officer Ant (11:32):
I'm not wearing this in front of
people because he's bigger, full.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (11:36):
I said come on, try the singlet, and I
want to see it.
So finally convinced him.
I was like, oh, it's fine, youlook just like the rest of them
out there.
But we showed up in our firsttournament, never wrestled.
We were a small school out inGunner.
You know we come to a wrestlingtournament here in Allen.
I'm like man, some of thesekids are like seventh grade and
(11:58):
they're just throwing boysaround everywhere and I think he
had four matches that day.
He came out and he won thefirst one, I was like hey, maybe
this is his sport.
Then he went 0 for 3 on the nextthree and he came out and he
was like dad, I'm done withwrestling.
This is terrible.
First and only wrestlingtournament.
School Resource Officer An (12:12):
That was it.
He's like I'm done.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (12:14):
Not doing this again.
School Resource Officer An (12:15):
Yeah , it's a one for him.
It's a tough sport.
He'll wrestle me now, and afterabout the first two minutes I
give up because I don't have thestamina.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (12:28):
You got to pin him quick or it's over oh
no, he's stronger than me now.
School Resource Officer Anth (12:32):
Oh no, You've reached that point.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (12:34):
Oh yeah, that's me.
You know my oldest.
He's in college as well and Iget into it back and forth and
I'm like man, if he really wantsto go at it, I'm gonna have to
try to knock him out like rightoff the bat, because he's bigger
, stronger and faster than menow well, I'll tell him if we're
(12:55):
gonna fight for real, I'm gonnacheat, so I'll win.
No fair fight right so you'vebeen in schools for how many
years?
Uh going on my 13th year, but Ifeel like I can't go anywhere
now and and have a, you know, ateenager come up to me and be
like do you know, officer garcia, it happens a lot all, all the
time every event we go to,there's always a young kid.
School Resource Officer (13:17):
They're like oh, officer garcia does he
work with you guys?
Yeah, I uh, I love what I donow.
Um, I I didn't growing up inOklahoma, I didn't realize the
time and was never around, andso I kind of I kind of know how
(13:47):
it feels to to be feeling likeyou're alone while you're in
school, and so I would go, I goaround and I I talked to every
single kid and I I try to makethem know that that I'm there
for them, that I love them, Icare for them and if they ever
need anything.
I'm here for them.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (14:04):
We're not exaggerating, it's
everywhere.
Community Outreach Coordin (14:06):
Yeah , lots of love from everyone.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (14:08):
Yeah, and it's the parents too.
They come up and they havenothing but positive things to
say.
So, whatever it is you're doingin the schools and you're
definitely making a positiveimpact.
So thank you, keep doing that.
It takes a.
It takes a special person.
You know my wife's a teacherperson.
You know my wife's a teacher.
Your wife's been in educationfor a long time.
School Resource Officer An (14:26):
Like I don't know how y'all do it,
you have to be, you have to bebuilt for that oh yeah, because,
uh, there's a lot of energygoing through those halls of
those schools there's a lot ofenergy, lots, lots of smiles all
day long and lots of talking.
That goes all then.
I don't like to talk a lot, butyeah, I feel like.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (14:46):
I've seen you in some like dance-offs
and stuff at pep rallies andthings like that you know I'm
not Barbie boxes and differentpictures.
School Resource Officer An (14:53):
Yeah , you get with my friends that I
hang out with a lot and they'lltell you I'm not a dancer, but
I will try.
I've seen you outside of work,I know.
Community Outreach Coord (15:05):
That's funny, so um what about my
Texas, since you're talkingabout?
Uh, okay.
School Resource Officer Anth (15:11):
Um , yeah, so uh, in in 2023,.
Uh, I had just gotten off workand was, uh, this was December
31st, so, uh, I had just gottenoff work, was going to a friend
of mine's house for a New Year'sEve party and my family were.
They were already at the party,so I'm going to meet up with
them, and my Texas by JoshAbbott band was playing on the
(15:36):
radio, and so I'm like man, I'mgoing to do everything in this
song in 2024.
And so got there and ball dropsand all that, and I tell my wife
my plan and I I don't know ifshe thought that I was serious
um, until the first event, andthen, uh did, did everything in
(15:59):
the song and uh, the last thingthat I did was, uh, the last two
things.
Uh had to go to el pasoo and seethe sunset and then I drove
down from El Paso down to BigBend and hiked a couple of
trails in Big Bend and that wasthe last two things.
And, man, it was awesome.
I kind of want to do it again.
Community Outreach Coordina (16:17):
Did you do it all by yourself or
did your family join you?
School Resource Officer A (16:20):
There were several things that I did
by myself, were several thingsthat I've, uh did by myself.
Um, the, the one that that Iwould say sucked the most was uh
, and, and the actual eventitself was awesome, but no one
went with me.
So I got up at four 30 in themorning, uh, on a Saturday
morning, drove down to leakylakey.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (16:41):
however, you, say it Lakey Texas, Lakey,
Texas.
School Resource Officer Antho (16:43):
I know where he's going and
floated the Frio River, floatedthe river for four hours, and so
I don't know how long does ittake to get down there.
It's about a six and a halfhour drive probably so, drove
there six and a half hours,floated the river for four hours
and drove back all in one day.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (17:01):
I just got back from there a few weeks
ago and, yeah, the Frio River isamazing, never gone and floated
by myself, but I remember Istarted getting texts from
Anthony asking questions aboutthe Frio.
I was like he's about to markan item off his list.
School Resource Officer An (17:16):
Yeah , several of those events were
very fun.
I would say probably about 30%of the things I'd done by myself
and, uh, most of the things mywife went with me.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (17:31):
Do you know how many items it was in
that song?
Ooh.
School Resource Officer Anth (17:34):
Uh .
I think around 30 something,but it's spread out all over.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (17:38):
Texas.
Oh yeah, so yeah, it definitelytook some time to Took some
time.
So yeah, it definitely tooksome time to go through it.
It took some time.
School Resource Officer Ant (17:44):
And you know some of the events,
like I had to go listen to RogerKreger, had to go Pat Green.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (17:51):
You just had to go do this stuff.
School Resource Officer An (17:52):
Yeah , had to go and you know, but so
I mean those I had to go on acertain date.
Yeah that's true, larry JoeTaylor Fest.
The fireworks shows Fireworksshow.
So that thing was awesome, likeif you have not seen the
fireworks on Lake Possum Kingdom, you got to go.
It's awesome.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (18:11):
Now I kind of want to do the song.
I want to do all these items.
So now that that's done, whatare you on to now?
School Resource Officer (18:18):
You're not someone that sits still
Well because I love to travel Idecided when I went to Big Bend
you go through Marfa, texas oh,that's cool and they have a
beautiful courthouse down thereand it's just right off the main
street and so when I wasdriving I looked over and I saw
it and at the time I didn'tthink anything of it.
I was like, all right, when Icome back by, I'll stop by and
(18:41):
go take a look.
And I hung out too much in BigBend.
Stop by and go take a look.
And um, I just I hung out toomuch in big bend and so I had to
hurry and get back.
And so on the flight back to toDallas, to Allen, um, I was
like you know what?
In 2025, I guess, uh, I'm goingto go visit a County
courthouses on a square, um, soI've been been to.
(19:02):
What is?
What month is it?
We're in now seven.
So I've been to what month isit?
We're in now seven.
So I've been to seven countycourthouses already.
I think my favorite is SulphurSprings.
Community Outreach Coordin (19:13):
That county courthouse.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (19:13):
That's not too far from home.
School Resource Officer An (19:14):
Yeah , I went to that one with my
wife and just the squares.
It's a good square and so mywife enjoyed it.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (19:23):
She used to go shopping.
She said yeah, oh yeah, shedidn't enjoy the last one too
much.
It was out in the middle ofnowhere, not a whole lot around.
Yeah, clarendon texas, I don'teven know where that one is.
School Resource Officer Anth (19:34):
Uh , it's, it's uh, about an hour
shy of getting to amarillo.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (19:38):
Oh, my goodness.
School Resource Officer Anth (19:40):
So we did that in one day.
Did that drive?
Yeah, and she doesn't.
Well, she drove back home onthat one because I was tired,
but she doesn't typically.
I do all the driving.
She just gets to ride.
Yeah, she just gets to ride.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (19:51):
It's lunch and shopping spree.
I like it, so you do thecourthouses.
What about?
You have this little group ofguys, right?
I shouldn't say little.
A couple of them, you know,work for the department, but
yeah so, uh, I would call it agang, but it's more like I guess
(20:15):
we'll call it a club I guesswe'll call it a club.
School Resource Officer An (20:18):
Yeah , uh, so it's called river
banking um and river bankingboys.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (20:22):
It's all .
School Resource Officer An (20:23):
It's all guys at the moment, all
guys most of the guys are areallen pd guys.
Uh, we have one mckinney pd guyand then we have, uh, uh, one
of my best friends that's not inlaw enforcement, he's in, he's
in the group, and then uh, thenanother guy that's not law
enforcement.
So, um, but yeah, I mean we justwe travel to different rivers
(20:45):
and um mostly in Texas mostly inTexas, but we've gone to
Missouri, we've gone to Arkansas, we've gone to Oklahoma um,
trying to plan a trip up toTennessee here pretty soon.
Um, so we've done the, the twotoughest rivers in Texas, uh,
the devil's river down in DelRio and then the uh just
recently did the Pecos river.
(21:06):
Um, it's near Del Rio, butComstock and Pandale um kind of
out in the middle of nowhere.
Uh, that one kicked my tail.
Uh, I cried a few times on theinside.
Um, well, if I had cell serviceI probably would have called my
mom.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (21:21):
You can't just turn around and go
back.
School Resource Officer Anth (21:25):
No , no, you can turn around and go
back.
No, you can't turn around andgo back.
You can't go with the flow onthat one.
So it was rough.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (21:29):
So y'all just put up a tent camp out.
Yeah, yeah, Sleep under thestars.
School Resource Offic (21:33):
Riverbank .
You just throw up a tent theresleep under the stars.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (21:36):
Is it catch what you eat, kind of
thing.
School Resource Officer Anth (21:38):
Oh we've not done that yet.
What I am.
I am, uh, my nickname on in thegroup is cookie, so I do all
the cooking.
Um, I love, love to cook.
Uh, so I mean, we'll do steaks,we'll do barbecue pork chops,
we've done jambalaya.
Uh, we've done shrimp bowls.
Um, I mean, whatever.
Whatever the boys want, I'llcook for them.
Community Outreach Coordi (22:00):
Don't you record these trips?
School Resource Officer An (22:02):
Yeah , yeah, uh, we just started a
YouTube channel.
Don't you record these trips?
Yeah, we just started a YouTubechannel.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (22:22):
So far, we only have one Brazos River
trip on the channel, and justrecently the Pecos River, which
again, there's a lot of contentin that video, but not great
content because I'm justlearning on how to do YouTube
and things of that nature.
School Resource Officer Anth (22:27):
So do you, do you go, do you go
down river and set up cameras?
Officer Sam Rippamonti (22:28):
Not yet.
If you do that, maybe just waiton your guys to show up.
Yeah, yeah, not be in the shotwith it.
School Resource Officer Ant (22:34):
But , but yeah, so the rivers in
Texas we've done the Brazos.
We typically go and put in justright off, right outside of
Lake Possum Kingdom, and we'lluh that one um is about a 20
mile section, and so we'll dothat.
Usually when we do that and wewill do it, uh, into two nights,
three days, uh, we've done.
(22:56):
Uh, what else have we done inTexas?
Uh, devil's River We've doneonce Pecos, pecos, pecos.
That was like a five-night orsix days.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (23:06):
Oh wow, that's a long trip, yeah.
School Resource Officer An (23:08):
That one.
That's the longest river we'vedone.
It was.
The total length is about 65miles and then, like once you
factor in paddling sideways andback up river and all that, I
think Officer Ramirez, I thinkhe recorded 70-something total
miles, or almost 80-somethingmiles that he paddled.
Wow, All in all.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (23:29):
Sounds exhausting, it was.
Are you in?
School Resource Officer (23:31):
kayaks In kayaks, yeah.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (23:33):
Are they the pedal ones, or you have to
paddle?
No, no.
School Resource Officer Ant (23:36):
You got to paddle.
You can't be cheating out there.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (23:39):
I'd have to have the foot pedals.
Can't be cheating out there.
No, dude, let's have a break,yeah.
School Resource Officer Ant (23:45):
But , no we have a good time out
there.
I mean, it's all about gettingout there.
Most of the rivers that we goto there's no self-service, and
so I mean you're kind of off thegrid.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (23:55):
It's a good way to disconnect, I guess,
oh yeah, disconnect.
But y'all smell great whenyou're driving home from the end
of your river trip.
All in a truck together, yeah.
School Resource Officer Anth (24:04):
So May 6th two years ago, myself
and Sergeant Cleveland andOfficer Forcan we were on the
river, and typically you don'tget any cell service out there,
and all of a sudden SergeantCleveland's phone starts ringing
and it's his wife letting himknow about the outlet mall.
And so that was like a godthing that in that one little
(24:27):
section area he was able to getservice and we were able to
figure out what was going on.
It was we were too far away tolike be able to hurry up and get
off the river.
Um, and I don't know if youremember that day, but a big
storm came and so we got caughton the river in the big storm.
Oh yeah, what a.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (24:44):
What a day, oh yeah.
Community Outreach Coordina (24:47):
How long have you had?
School Resource Officer An (24:48):
this group like traveling.
Oh.
So, um, I, I, I started this uh, uh around COVID timeframe.
Um, so I had, I had gone on auh on a trip on to the Buffalo
river in Arkansas, uh, with oneof uh, our former officers that
uh that when he worked inRichardson.
(25:08):
There's a big group that goesout there and does the Buffalo
River once a year.
And I got an invite.
It was myself and OfficerCollier and Sergeant Cleveland
and at the time, sergeantDeBlanc.
But I went out there and I lovedit and I was like, all right,
I'm going to get into this.
But I had young kids and sothey took all my time.
(25:33):
And so once COVID happened, Igot more time freed up, started
looking at it and found that theBrazos River has a shuttle
service out there and so wentout there.
The first time I went it wasjust me, a friend of mine, uh,
my son and his son, and then Ikept going back out there and
(25:53):
was loving it.
So then I was like let's starta group up.
So there's, I don't know, 13, Ithink uh in our group right now
.
Community Outreach Coordinat (26:02):
Uh actually leaving.
School Resource Office (26:04):
Actually leaving to go to Junction,
texas, to do the South LlanoRiver and there's six of us
going down there tomorrow.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (26:13):
How many nights?
School Resource Officer An (26:14):
This will be three nights, four days
to go.
I think it's going to beroughly about 16 miles.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (26:20):
You get all your meals planned up.
School Resource Officer An (26:21):
Yeah , yeah, so we'll have.
Usually steak is the firstnight, so we'll do steak and
roasted potatoes with jalapenosin there.
Y'all are roughing it up Someroasted corn on the open flames
and whatever else the boys wantas a side, and night two will be
chicken and sausage jambalaya.
(26:42):
And then night three, we'regoing to have a Frito chili pie.
I'm going to make some chiliout there and you can either eat
chili by itself or have theFrito pie.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (26:52):
That all sounds really good.
I'm going to show up for dinnertime.
I don't want to do the floatingor the kayaking and then we're
just fishing all day.
Are you catching any fish onthese ships?
Oh yeah, yeah.
Well, some of us, let's ask thereal question.
School Resource Officer An (27:03):
Some of us.
There's a few that arecastermans and then a few of us
that are fishermen.
That would be me.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (27:10):
I would just be flinging it just talking
to everybody Sounds like it's alot of fun, though.
School Resource Officer Anth (27:16):
It is a lot of fun.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (27:26):
I'm sure it's exhausting, but a lot of
good numbers.
So shifting gears back to towork.
We're gonna talk about work alittle bit in the schools.
You're gonna be at the freshmancenter again this year.
School Resource Officer Ant (27:30):
Yes , sir, at the freshman center.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (27:32):
So what is something that you would want
to tell the community, withschool getting ready to ramp up
and um, yeah.
School Resource Officer Anth (27:41):
So , uh, one of our, our biggest
issues there, uh, is, uh, thingsgetting stolen out of the
locker rooms, um, and then,typically, when you go and ask
the athlete like, well, was your, was your stuff locked?
No, I didn't lock it, I didn't,you know, I didn't have time or
, um, don't know how to open mylock, um, so I would highly
(28:02):
encourage everybody I, I speakto, uh, the football team, um, I
don't speak to the other sports, but I speak to the football
team and I try to encourage themhey, use that lock.
If it's valuable to you, it'sgoing to be valuable to somebody
else, and so lock your stuff.
And that would be one of thebiggest things that I would, I
would try to stress is theresomething new you can share with
(28:23):
the unit like?
Community Outreach Coord (28:24):
what's new with the unit Like?
School Resource Officer (28:26):
what's new in your unit currently?
Uh, what's new in our unit?
Um, well, not not much that Icould think of.
We, we just started the uh, theworking five days a week and,
um, building a comp bank, and sohaving the summer off has has
been uh, uh awesome, but at thesame time, uh, I'm spending more
(28:46):
money because I'm you're goingto all these portals?
Community Outreach Coordin (28:49):
well , that I got more free time, so
I'm like I need to work and youguys train during the summer,
don't you?
School Resource Officer An (28:56):
yeah , we trained during the summer.
We recently, just uh last week,uh went to our our national
conference.
Um unfortunately, it was heldin uh the state of Texas this
year, so we didn't get to reallytravel.
But it's a great time gettingto meet and conversate with
officers from other states andkind of see what their problems
(29:17):
are and how they're handlingtheir issues and vice versa,
them asking us and stuff likethat.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (29:23):
I think I saw a picture of you cooking
Was it jambalaya?
In the parking lot.
School Resource Officer An (29:27):
Yeah .
So we did jambalaya on Tuesday.
No, yeah, tuesday did jambalayaout in the parking lot and then
on Thursday I did taco salad.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (29:39):
And where was this at?
School Resource Officer Anth (29:41):
At the Gaylord in Grapevine.
Oh, I'm sure they love that.
They didn't know, they don'tneed to know, don't listen.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (29:49):
That's funny, so are you ready?
School Resource Officer Ant (29:51):
for school to start back.
I'm ready.
I wish we went to schoolyear-round.
I mean have some breaks.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (29:56):
But Well in the past y'all worked patrol
in the summertime right.
School Resource Officer An (30:06):
Yeah , either patrol or uh, the, the
junior police academy that wehost, um, it was, it was about
50, 50.
Uh, half of the unit would gowork patrol and half the unit
would work the camps.
So it's more involvement in thecamp now, since y'all aren't
now yeah, now, now everybodyworked the camp this summer, um
that's kind of nice too, yeahyeah, we only had three camps
this summer and um they were,they were all full so yeah, we
see, we see the Eventbrite stuff.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (30:27):
It fills up quick.
Community Outreach Coordina (30:27):
The kids love it, oh yeah.
School Resource Officer An (30:29):
Yeah , and it's funny that you'll get
some of the kids that will doit all the way up through their
senior year and they'll comeback every year knowing that for
the most part, it's all goingto be the same thing that they
did last year.
I try to change a few things uphere and there.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (30:45):
Do they still wear the drunk goggles?
School Resource Officer An (30:47):
Yeah , yeah, we don't have the golf
cart anymore.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (30:50):
We have this little bicycle thing I've
ridden that little bike.
Community Outreach Coordin (30:53):
Yeah , that thing looks fun Do those
kids end up in the Exploreprogram a lot of times, or how
does that work?
School Resource Officer An (31:00):
Yeah , we push that big time, and so
we will have a few that willjoin through there.
Jacob Groves he was one of thekids that came through police
camp.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (31:12):
Now in our police academy.
School Resource Officer Ant (31:13):
Now he's in the police academy
trying to be an officer, but hejoined the Explorers.
Community Outreach Coordin (31:19):
What do they do?
What do they do?
Do they learn kind of whatofficers are doing?
School Resource Officer An (31:23):
Yeah , so when I first, when I first
became a school resource officerand got involved with the
Junior Police Academy, it wasmore just like classroom stuff,
and so I tried to make it moremore kind of like a junior
police academy where they wouldlearn We'll teach them a few of
(31:44):
the laws and teach them some ofthe techniques and stuff that we
do like building searches andstuff like that, and then then
we'll put them through scenarios.
Community Outreach Coordinat (31:52):
Um , and they, they love the
scenario day yeah, because werecently just hosted our own um
explorers, um what was it called?
School Resource Officer Anth (32:00):
oh uh, their competition.
Right, it was a competitionthat we had here.
Community Outreach Coordin (32:03):
That was a long.
School Resource Officer An (32:05):
Yeah , I used to be involved with the
art explorer program, um, andthen I haven't done that in a
few years just cause it wastaking up too much of my time
and I had other things going on,but uh.
But yeah, those explorercompetitions they're awesome
it's.
It's good to see kids from allacross the state come and
compete against each other andsome of them I think would be
(32:26):
would do better, some of ourofficers.
So yeah, it was rough.
I, I, this one, I was an actorfor the active shooter and yeah,
some of those teams were prettygood.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (32:38):
Yeah, I was an actor in a domestic and.
I was the aggressoror, so I wasthat.
I was getting thrown aroundhigh school, kids all night some
of them don't look like highschool kids.
School Resource Officer (32:50):
There's some, yeah, some of them pretty
strong big old boys coming inthere and just picking me up
like nothing.
Yeah, I was uh on one of thescenarios.
Uh, he, he had me proned out onthe floor and then all next
thing I know he's like jumpingdown on my back and I'm like oh
no.
And he was a big boy, so it wasa lot of weight.
Community Outreach Coordin (33:09):
It's just interesting to see how
each team they do the scenarioso differently than each other,
and it's pretty interesting towatch.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (33:18):
Yeah, but it's such an upper hand if
you want to have a career in lawenforcement one day, going
through the camps and then goinginto the Explorers.
It's almost like cheating whenyou go into the police academy.
Community Outreach Coor (33:32):
There's a cheat code.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (33:33):
Yeah, you have so much knowledge about
the profession already.
It has to make it much easierand less stressful.
School Resource Officer A (33:41):
There was nothing like that in my
high school.
Community Outreach Coordina (33:43):
And they get to meet our officers
and have those connections.
School Resource Officer Ant (33:45):
Yes .
Community Outreach Coordina (33:47):
And it's really good for them.
School Resource Officer An (33:48):
Yeah , you know Officer Groves.
He worked in the jail, but Imean just through his explorer
time, I mean he already knew abunch of the officers and then
working in the jail got to knowalmost everybody else.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (34:01):
So definitely a cheat code.
Community Outreach Coordinato (34:05):
I used him for undercover tobacco
steam when he was in highschool.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (34:07):
He was just a young kid and nobody
would sell to him because helooked like he just looked like
a baby going in there.
And now he's recruiting thepolice academy for us he
graduated with my son all grownup.
But, anthony, we reallyappreciate you coming out today
and talking to us, thank you.
School Resource Officer A (34:21):
Thank you for having me.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (34:23):
We're excited for the school year.
What's the Eagles look likethis year?
I know you're always into thefootball team.
School Resource Officer Anth (34:29):
So yeah, I know the offensive line
is a big concern.
Defense should be pretty strongQuarterback.
It just depends on which onethey go with.
We did have a kid move in nottoo long ago, so he's a freshman
, but he's supposed to be a stud, so I don't know.
We'll see what happens.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (34:49):
It's always exciting to watch the
Allen Eagles play on Fridaynight.
Oh yeah, we'll be there withyou now that I don't have one
playing in high school.
So thank you again.
Community Outreach Coordina (34:58):
Yes , we really appreciate you
coming on today.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (35:00):
If you'd like to learn more about our
school resource officer orupcoming events in the Allen
Police Department, go to ourwebsite, allenpoliceorg.
Community Outreach Coordina (35:08):
And make sure to like and subscribe
, and if you have any questions,leave them down in the comments
below.
Officer Sam Rippamonti (35:12):
We'll see you next time.
Community Outreach Coordina (35:14):
Bye .
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