Behind the Badge: Cpl. Cindia Torres
For Takoma Park’s Cpl. Cindia Torres, one of the most important tools for a police officer when responding to a call is empathy.
“My approach to the job is encountering people with a perspective on what’s going on in their lives and being open-minded,” says Torres, who has been with Takoma Park’s police department for more than three years. “The community shouldn’t be afraid to reach out to our officers.”
Torres joined the Takoma Park police department after working as a police officer in neighboring Prince George’s County. She says she saw more potential in Takoma Park when she decided to apply for a job with the department.
“I was looking forward to an agency that had more growth and Takoma Park definitely had more growth,” she says. “I was also looking forward to working with other officers. In Prince George’s County, I was working alone. Maybe I’d work with another officer but most of the time I was out alone.”
In addition to working as a police officer, Torres also serves as the department’s LGBTQ+ community liaison officer, fostering understanding, trust, and cooperation between law enforcement and the LGBTQ+ community.
“My responsibility is to facilitate support with the LGBTQ community and increase engagement with officers,” she says. “I’m a
point of contact between the community and department. I’ve attended some organization meetings and had the opportunity to attend the Pride parade this year. I had a great time!”
In her role, which was created by the city earlier this year, Torres also works with victims of reported hate crimes and offers assistance and resources as they navigate the criminal justice system.
A bilingual Spanish speaker, Torres also serves as an interpreter when helping Takoma Park’s growing Latino community.
“It’s extremely helpful that I am bilingual and speak Spanish,” she says. “There’s a level of comfort to report a crime, especially in the Latino community due to language barrier or trust. Everyone in the department wants to assist those in need; whether it’s the Latino community or LGBTQ+ community, we’re always there to help.”
Torres says that when she isn’t working she’s studying for a degree in business administration with a focus on human resources.
“Usually, when I’m off I’m either working on my own student assignments or doing errands since I’m a parent.”
The Takoma Park newsletter is doing profiles on some of the city’s front line police officers over the next months. If you have a story you’d like to share about how a city police officer helped you, email seang@takomaparkmd.gov.
This article appeared in the November Edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. Check out this article and more on the City webpage.
