If you ask any police officer... they'll probably tell you working with their colleagues is like a brotherhood.
In this case, probationary officers Manuel Esqueda and Abraham Esqueda are actually brothers.
"Ever since we were small, we would watch cops or videos on YouTube of police stuff," said Manuel.
A young childhood dream both the Esqueda brothers didn't think could become a reality. They worked in information technology for years.
"I never saw myself doing this," Abraham said. "It was something that I saw far away until we finally decided 'you know what let's give it a try."
They recently graduated from the academy and already they've helped so many people.
"You have to be up for anything that comes your way," said Manuel. "So far I've been less than a month in the streets and I'm in a constant learning environment but just having to know what to do, the various types of calls that come in, being there for people no matter what the situation is ... it means alot."
Joining the police force was never about the uniform or even the title that comes with it. For them it was simple.
"I joined Waco specifically because I knew that there were a lot of Hispanics in this community and I knew that me speaking Spanish, I could identify a little better with them and help them out," said Manuel.
Bridging a gap and breaking language barriers.
"You can notice right away the difference, they are shy and timid at first but you hop on and start speaking Spanish and they are like 'whoa okay I can talk to this person and communicate my problem and what im going through,'" said Abraham.
Together, the Esqueda brothers are truly making a difference. Adding diversity to the Waco Police Department, building trust with the Hispanic community, and being a voice to those who are often left unheard.
