DEL.ICIO.USCobb officer a vital link between department, Hispanic community
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, October 17, 2008
When Graciela Vizcarra had a concern about voter registration in the Latino community, she wasn’t sure who to call.
After listening to Anibal Lopez field questions on his monthly radio show on La Favorita, a Spanish language station, Vizcarra reached out to the Cobb County police officer.
JOHNNY CRAWFORD/jcrawford@ajc.com
Cobb County police Officer Anibal Lopez sits inside La Favorita radio station answering questions from the Latino community about the job of the police in Cobb County. He has been a vital link between the department and the growing Latino community in the county.
Lopez's show runs from 9 to 10 a.m. one Wednesday a month. The dates vary but the show can be heard on 1000 AM, 1400 AM and 1130 AM.
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Lopez put Vizcarra in contact with the right government official and later accepted an invitation to speak to a group of Hispanic citizens about police procedures and laws.
“Most Hispanics think the police are bad people, because that is the perception of police in the countries they come from,” Lopez said.
Lopez has been a bridge, helping Hispanic businesses and community groups organize neighborhood watch programs and teaching “Survival Spanish” to fellow officers and new recruits.
For his efforts, the Cobb Chamber of Commerce recently named Lopez Public Safety Employee of the Year.
“When we need information about the [Latino] community, he is always willing to help,” said Vizcarra, who helps organize events for St. Thomas Apostle Church in Smyrna. “He is good about letting us know how we can protect ourselves.”
Hiring more Hispanic officers would go a long way in building better relations with the police, she added. There are less than five Hispanic officers on the county’s police force, which has more than 600 sworn officers.
“He has been very important in building that trust and relationship for us in the Hispanic community,” Cobb police chief George Hatfield said. “He is opening up that line of communication because of all his volunteer work.”
Lopez spends about five hours a week speaking to people about traffic and domestic laws. He tries to ease the fears of Latinos who have been victims of or witnesses to crimes.
“I basically try to get them to understand our job is to help them when they have been a victim,” said Lopez.
Many Latinos shy away from reporting crimes to the authorities, he said.
“I tell them we are not here to document them if they are a victim of crime. We want them to know that we are here to help.”
Lopez juggles his police and community work with a hectic family life. He is a single father raising two daughters, ages 5 and 7. His wife, Jennifer, died five years ago of a rare disease called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by a defect in protein. Both his daughters suffer from the disease.
“Once I get my work schedule, I have people to help,” he said. “I try to take a lot of time with my daughters, but I have family to help.”
A graduate of Wheeler High in Marietta, Lopez moved to Cobb County with his family when he was 12. Growing up, he had a favorable image of police officers because a family friend in Puerto Rico was an officer.
Colleagues describe Lopez as a dedicated father who is quiet, but enjoys joking around.
“If Officer Lopez asks for time off, its because of something he has to do with his kids,” said Sgt. W.M. Duling, his supervisor. “He is consistently talking about his kids.”
Duling can always tell when Lopez has done his radio show.
“The phone at the station consistently rings,” Duling said. “We joke that the county should give him his own line. He is in demand right after a show.”
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