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Friends And Family
Conversations from the studios of God's Way Radio in Miami, FL.
WAYG-LP | 104.7FM
Friends And Family
Wearing the Shield with a Prayerful Heart
Navigating the demanding crossroads of law enforcement and christianity, Nancy Perez—a recently retired major from the Miami Dade County Police Department—joins us to unfold a narrative that's as much about the shield she bore as the faith she cherished. With a career spanning decades, and a deep faith rooted in her childhood, Nancy shares the intimate details of wearing a badge while holding onto the Bible. Her stories of humor as a survival tool and the weight of her badge are as enlightening as they are compelling.
The media landscape has changed drastically over the years, and Nancy, having served in a police media department, offers a unique perspective on this evolution. She recalls a time when religious expression was more openly integrated with professional life, contrasting it with today's more reserved stance. Her personal journey, marked by persistence and prayer, serves as a beacon for anyone striving to maintain their faith in the face of societal shifts. We explore the inherent challenges of media reporting in law enforcement, discussing the delicate balance between public information and operational integrity. Nancy's story is more than one of law and order—it’s about the enduring power of faith and the unspoken bond amongst those committed to public service.
You're tuned in to Friends and Family, a God's Way radio exclusive where we introduce you to some amazing people. In John 15, verse 15, jesus says I have called you friends for all things that I heard from my Father I have made known to you. That's our aim that God would be made known to you. Stay with us until the end of our conversation for more information on this program and other unique offerings from God's Way radio.
Joey:Hello God's Way radio family, whatever time of the day it is that you're hearing this. We're so happy that you were able to tune in. As you know, we often try to bring you friends of ours, family here of God's Way radio, people that we'd like you to meet, and today we happen to have a dear friend in the studio. Her name is Nancy. Nancy good Well for us, it's morning still.
Nancy:Good morning. Thank you, god, for waking us up.
Joey:Yes, amen. So good to have you, Nancy. Nancy Perez is a dear friend again of the station, of me personally, of Pastor Raz that many of you know here from the station Calvary Chapel, just a long time friend of the ministry and she retired fairly recently as a major in the Miami Dade County Police Department. Did I get all that?
Nancy:right. Yes, you got it perfect. Yes, it's been three years. Time flies Wow.
Joey:So three years that you've been retired brand new grandma.
Nancy:Yes, very excited.
Joey:So it's great. But you know, as we talked before we started the conversation, the interview officially, I always love to start at how you got to know the Lord, your testimony.
Nancy:Well, I came to know the Lord when I was 12 years old. I was living with my best friend and her family and their seventh day Adventist, and her mother was the one that told me about Jesus, and that's how I came to know the Lord. One thing that she told me that always stuck with me was never believe man. God holds you accountable. You must read the Bible, and that's something that I stuck to my whole life.
Nancy:And even though they are seventh day Adventists and sometimes you know, we, we clash in certain things that always taught me to say okay, let's go to the Bible and let's see what the Bible says.
Joey:You know it reminds me of the Bereans right In the book of Acts. It said that they went and they studied the things that Paul said and so so important and so amazing that you got that key. I was going to say secret, but it's not a secret. The Bible says to study the Bible, but that key so early on in life, read the Bible. Don't trust man in the sense of trust God more. Don't trust man without checking with God and study the scriptures. I love that. I love it. And then what happened from there? 12 years old, you got saved. And you know, for example, I know some people. They just get radically saved, radically converted. But for a lot of people and maybe a lot of our listeners, you might be able to encourage them. It's not as simple as it and as easy as that. It's a journey.
Nancy:It's a very long journey. I think that the key is, no matter what, always go back to God. The devil will tell you oh, you've tried this, oh you've done this, oh, you failed so many times. Don't listen to that. You go back to God because God is always there waiting for us to make that U-turn to him. And during police work something quite funny. But we always had a saying trust God, investigate everybody else. I love that.
Joey:I love that. Trust God, investigate. Now I have to wonder you know what? Did you have my driver's license number before you came? No, but in all seriousness, you know, I love that and you know. It really gets to an issue with law enforcement that a lot of people might not realize is an issue that you guys, you ladies, you have to develop quite thick skin and you get calloused in police work. You know even that joke. It's really not a joke when you do law enforcement for a long time. For example, you know your grandbaby, your children's spouses I'm sure you did a different vetting process maybe than other people. I mean, you have resources that you might have used and it's just become some second nature. I mean, you know tell me if I'm wrong, but maybe you'd want to share about that that a lot of people don't understand what you go through and how many years were you serving in that.
Nancy:Thirty years.
Joey:Thirty years. So people, I don't think get it. Thirty years in law enforcement. What's that like?
Nancy:Well, I started with the department, well, in the academy, when I was 20 years old. I wasn't even old enough to buy bullets and I was in the police academy. And it is true, because out there we are dealing with evil, it is evil. I remember when I started, I there was a. I went to a call, because you get hard, especially when you're young, you know, and I remember that I was so irritated with this man that was completely inebriated, and I was trying to communicate with him, but he, of course, because of his condition, you know, he was all over the place and I remember I sat in the car and I was, you know, running his information and I was irritated and then I heard God tell me the only difference between you and him is me. And that always stuck with me and it changed completely my attitude from that day on.
Joey:I've heard it said another way by other officers and they're joking. They haven't committed any crimes that I know of. But you know, the only difference between me and them is they got caught and and obviously we know that ultimately, people that are in law enforcement the majority of them, they're not playing games. They want law, justice, truth, righteousness. But what he meant by that is exactly what you said your sinner, I'm a sinner, the criminal is a sinner. The only difference is the Lord, the grace of Jesus. Nancy, why'd you get into law enforcement at 20 years old?
Nancy:I was a single parent with two small children and I always wanted to become an attorney. And of course you know a pro bono attorney because when you're young you know that's what you want to do. You don't realize that you can't always do pro bono work. And so the next you know best thing I always loved law, so I went into law enforcement and I I know for a fact that that was God's calling for me.
Joey:I like that. I wanted to be a pro bono attorney.
Nancy:And that's always defend the innocent and the little people, yeah.
Joey:And always for free, and what bills, but. But so that's amazing and you know, nancy. Again, to be honest, obviously I really appreciate you sitting down and talking with us today and obviously there's some things that you've gone through in your life that you're not going to sit here and talk about all day on the radio. I mean, nobody would expect you to.
Nancy:No, they would turn us off.
Joey:But I appreciate your honesty and your clarity, because life is tough and you might be thinking, yeah, though where are you going with that? Life is tough and there might be people listening that they need to know how you got started and what you've gone through and where you came from, and the fact that you were a single mom with two kids that went into the police academy. You know what that speaks to me is God could do great things.
Joey:You know, God could do great things. And and tell us a little bit about when you started the academy. I mean, was it very difficult? How was it with the kids? How was it with the hours? I mean, what do you remember from those days in the academy?
Nancy:The academy was extremely tough for me, especially being, you know, having two children. No one in the class had kids, except one of my classmates, and so I remember that I used to drive my kids to the babysitter in order to get to the academy, and what would wake me up was hitting the median.
Tiffany:That was because.
Nancy:I was so exhausted every day and every time they would play a video I would just fall asleep in the class and my classmates knew so. They would let me, you know, rest, and then they would wake me up before the instructor would come in. And it was very tough. Being a woman, especially Hispanic, cuban, and back in the 80s was not easy, you know. I had to go through a lot, but it made me stronger and that's why I tell people don't give up. You know you have to be, you have to be tough, you know. But the most important thing is the only way that you can be tough is if you have God. If you don't have God, I don't know how people do it. I just really don't. How do you get through this life without the Lord? I have no idea.
Joey:It reminds me of the words of Jesus when he said in this life you will have tribulation. And then it says but fear not. You know other translations. But don't be afraid. But but my translation. But but stand up, you know, quit, quit crying. He said I have overcome the world. And what does that mean? It could just be religious right, but but you've experienced that. You know, I only got through it with God.
Nancy:I've done. I did an interview in the 90s, was my first interview with a reporter in my car, and but back then it was different. You know, she asked me about the cross that I had in my car. So we were able to, you know, to speak about Jesus and to speak of my belief. You know, unfortunately, those are days past. That will never happen today. Today, they're just trying to turn off the light of the Lord in every way that they can, and I just, I don't mean just media wise, I mean the world wise.
Joey:You know, nancy, I'm glad we got to speak before we started the recording. We got to vent a little bit because people need to know. People need to know that we can't, just, as you started with, believe everything we hear in the news on the internet. Even and this is this is the tough part right For me as a broadcaster. You know I I'm not the only kid in town. You know I'm not the only radio station in town, and I might not be the best. We might not be the best radio station in town. I think we are.
Joey:But the fact is thank you, but the fact is that I have to be willing to be wrong in that respect. But cool enough about me and the radio talking about you and your experience in working in media. You know, in a moment you can let us know how long you worked in the media department. Maybe what that entails you know, maybe some people didn't even know police had a media department and what are some things you learned there and what you would want people to know about media, about what we watch, about what we hear. So again, just starting with how long you were there, what that is working in media and then some things you want us to know.
Nancy:Well, I worked in media for eight years. I worked with a wonderful group of people. It allowed me to share a lot about Jesus Maybe 50 percent of what I would say and the other 50 percent of how I would act. When I had tough employees, I would always ask them if you own the business, would you hire someone like you, or would you hire someone like me and I would get their attention that way? Yeah, the media is a very, very volatile, volatile place to be. Unfortunately, a lot of the reporters get a get a bad reputation because people don't understand that the stories that they tell today are not stories that they tell on their own. They want to be, they want to be able to report the truth, but they're not allowed to report the truth, and I think some of them just take it upon themselves to be very aggressive with the police department. It's like this attitude of oh, I deserve to know everything and, yes, you do, but we have to know first in order to be able to tell you, so we need that.
Nancy:You know that space so that we could get well informed and not misinform you of what the occurrences are. So that was always a very big battle with the media. I'm not going to say that I had a horrible time there. I worked with wonderful people and I pray that somehow I was able to influence the media. I was able to influence them in the right way. Yeah, but I it was there for a season. I was there for that season. Why, I don't know.
Joey:Well, I think, like the Academy made you stronger.
Nancy:Oh, it definitely made me a lot stronger.
Joey:Going through that, dealing with those reporters and reactions. You know I feel bad for I feel bad for they call them celebrities, influencers, people in the spotlight, because nowadays, with the technology, the social media, I mean, you probably know, I mean once a cop, always a cop, in a sense. You know, you probably know, man, police officers get in trouble for anything, I mean any little thing. You know there's no secret. You know things around the news and so, man, a police officer in uniform, they happen to lose their temper for one second In a situation that anybody in this world will lose their temper. It's an absolutely normal reaction. It's a whole internal thing.
Nancy:But that's why you need to have the backing of your department. We're not asking there's not no officer out there is asking for someone to lie or cover up anything for them, but to be able to explain it. You know, I remember there was a sheriff that his officers were playing, they were conducting a search warrant and because a search warrant sometimes takes, you know, several hours, they were playing video games and they were caught on camera playing video games and they went. They were in an uproar and they went to him. He was the sheriff and they said to him you know what do you think about this? This is horrible. It's a waste of taxpayers money. He said I agree. He says I agree, but you know what? I have 3,500 employees. He goes and I don't have one. That's perfect. No one is perfect, you know. So if you want to live in a glass house, you really have to be really careful.
Joey:Yeah, and, and this is the thing you, as a police officer, actually lived in a glass house and not many people have to endure that. Not many people. You know what is it.
Joey:You can dish it out, but not many people could take it, take it and so again, if you're listening, believe it or not, we've been talking with Nancy Perez for over 15 minutes already. More than half of our time has gone by in this Conversation. You're listening to God's, we're radio. Nancy Perez retired about three years ago from the Miami Dade Police Department as a major and she's been a longtime friend of myself, of my pastor, pastor, as of many of the leadership at Calvary Chapel. How long have you been coming to Calvary Chapel, miami?
Nancy:Oh, my, I guess, about Over 28 years.
Joey:Yeah, a long time.
Nancy:It's a funny story how I came to Calvary.
Joey:Chapel. I'd love to hear it, yeah.
Nancy:I was going to a church where I was taking my mother, because the services would be in Spanish and. I was. I had a friend, a partner, actually in the Miami Dade Police Department, which probably a lot of you know, george Abila.
Nancy:Yeah and George would always say to me Nancy, I want you to come to my church. I'd be like, no, george, I'm not like that. Okay, god put me in this church and I'm gonna stay there. And he would insist. And every time we studied the Bible he would insist you have to go, but why can't you just visit one day? I'm like, no, I'm not going to. God himself will have to tell me that I have to, you know, go to another church.
Nancy:So that Sunday rolled along and we were there and the pastor says you know, I don't know how to tell you all this, but we have to close down the church Because the main pastor doesn't want us to hold any more Spanish service here on the property. So I called George and I said you did it, didn't you? Now I have now have to go to your church and visit and see if I find that to be my home, my new home, and and, and I did, I just. I love the fact of the studying the Bible book by book, verse by verse, with an open Bible. Again, you know not what you hear. It's your responsibility to know the actual word and and I got to know, you know Pastor Raz and his family very well.
Nancy:The church was small yeah back then, my only complaint with the church was that they removed the wooden pews. I've never forgotten that and I know, that I know Raz knows that I wanted those one pews.
Joey:Oh no, well, see, we got a. We got a. Fine, nowadays they do the vintage. You know it's coming back, so we can find some. We can find some, maybe have a vintage chapel, that's Anyways. You know, nancy, I appreciate. This is the other thing I appreciate and and you've already answered it, the Lord you know. But maybe there'd be some other tip, maybe some other detail how you can still laugh, how you can still smile after 30 years of police work, eight years in media, everything that you've gone through in your personal life, how do you still smile? And again, it's the Lord. But but has God showed you any scriptures that? Have you learned any Daily? You know tips, I mean for anybody listening, maybe for officers in general. How are you still laughing?
Nancy:well, one of my favorite scriptures that Jeremiah 29, 11 and that scripture to me was the one that would continue to give me the hope that I know that God had a plan for me. Some people say you're here on this earth until you fulfill God's plan, but it should be until you fulfill God's plans, because there his plans are more than just one in your life. I've always remained positive Because I loved what I did. I love to help people. I Believe that every officer that's out there wants to help people. I'm not saying that we don't have bad in in every occupation we do, but we all are so motivated when we leave that Academy, knowing that we're gonna make an impact in people's lives and then we're gonna be able to help them. And then, as you grow, you know through the ranks, okay, you do it out of wanting to help those that are serving. You know, which is extremely important People can see through you when you're doing something for your own purpose or for theirs.
Nancy:You know, and by you being there the kind of like the Foundation per se for them. Okay, it allows them, by example, to be that to the public when they come to communication with them.
Nancy:Yeah, because you can say anything you want, but if the actions are not there to back them up it's you know, it's not gonna be a good result. I love the officers. I pray for them every day. I pray for firefighters. My son is a firefighter, my daughter's a nurse, so I pray for all the nurses. Also, every public servant doesn't have to be in law enforcement. It can be Water and sewer. You know those people serve. You know Waste management they serve. You know, and people tend to Disregard that. You know, like all, my job is more important than yours. No, there isn't one important job. You know every job is important and every person is important and people should be acknowledged.
Joey:You know. I so appreciate that and again I remind everyone that's listening that just heard what you had to say. This is coming from a major. You know a police major that has learned that, as you just said, every job and every person is important. You know such a special family. You know law enforcement firefighter, nurse, I don't know, sounds like a TV show in the making or so, oh, I hope not.
Joey:She's done with media. Nobody call her Um, but uh, you know, again, in all seriousness, special, special family Um, and you know we talked about how I hate when this happens to me, in a sense. But I just encourage every listener remember Nancy and your prayers, remember her family, nancy Perez, if that, if God brings that name to your mind, pray for her, pray for her family and join with her in her Prayers every day for law enforcement. You know, and I don't know how this is gonna come out, this is a live radio, right, live recording. For better or for worse, I hear sirens like every morning from my house. I live right near 8, 36 and 8 26, right near the 72 Avenue Flagler intersection, so I go right to the 826 or left today, 36. So all that to say that I hear sirens like every morning and and this is the thing where the public can become numb and hardened oh, it's just another siren, oh, it's just, that's just Miami, and Maybe you could share the detail of this that siren, that means something.
Nancy:You know that siren does mean something. It means you're responding in an emergency mode to a certain address. Pray for them and pray for those that they are going to be making contact with. You know, part of the part of something that God put in my heart to do when I was in back in the district on my last year, which I so enjoyed so much was having that you were a part of it Okay was having the pastors there for the officers.
Nancy:The officers are not made a cylinder block, Mm-hmm. They're human beings, you know they could be going through issues that can affect them Personally. Okay, and it's just a wonderful thing to have pastors there, that at that moment they can speak to them, they can call them on their cell phone, that they can assist them. It would be like their little lifeline, you know, but it does help them. You know, sometimes people say, oh, I never saw this. This officer sad, and now he committed suicide. You know, some some people can break under the enormous pressure that they have, and right now these officers under enormous, enormous pressure because of the technology nowadays, how people can show a video, but they only show part of the video, they don't show the entirety of the video and then they you know, they just form their own conclusions of what occurred.
Joey:Absolutely. You know, nancy, I want to ask you just to leave us with any closing thought, anything you would want to say. We have just a couple minutes left, but I, I maybe, hopefully I'm not stealing it from you my closing thought would be pray for officers, pray for chaplains, pray for support structures. You know, I know that they have. You know, different. I really don't know the proper name for it. I would call it secular medical help, psychological help. I mean they have so much resources in the police departments and we pray for all of it. We pray that God would use all of it. You know, I know so many of the command staff I don't know if that's the right word so many of the superiors. You know they are so available, like you were and you still are. I'm sure they were so available to their subordinates, which I don't even hear that word ever. I mean to their coworkers, is what I hear to their fellow officers. And so just pray, pray, pray. Please keep officers and support people and prayer.
Joey:And our military and our military nurses, firefighters again everybody that we've spoken about. But, nancy, just want to leave you the last minute or two with anything you want to tell again our listening family. There might be Christians listening, not Christians listening. Officers not officers, whatever you know.
Nancy:Your last few thoughts are Well, many years since it's Christmas, we'll do a Christmas thing.
Joey:All right.
Nancy:Many years ago, christmas trees were lit up with candles, and it was to show that Christ is the light of the world. Because of the way the world is right now, a lot of people find, you know, the decorating for Christmas is a waste of time. You have to put it up and you have to take it down, but we have to remember that Christmas is a part when we celebrate the Lord's birthday, even though it may not have actually been the Lord's birthday, but we celebrate it during this time. So the only thing that I would ask is that, even if you don't have a tree, at least put a candle on your window. Show people that God's light cannot be turned off. Awesome.
Joey:You know, I see, I knew it was going to be a good day. I love that, I love that and, if I may add, you know I love that I'm going to text my wife right after this about our decorations, but not only in the window, but, as you said many times in our conversation Through your life, yes, you know, leave the candle at home, put it on at night, but when you go out that door in the morning, take the light with you, take it with you. So, nancy, thank you so much for joining us. Oh, thank you.
Nancy:I'm honored that you wanted me to even come down here, so I appreciate it. It was a surprise for both of us. The Lord just put it in front of me.
Joey:I said, yeah, lord, let's do it. So, family, you've been listening to just a conversation again. I hope you love these times. They're so special when we get to bring somebody that we'd like you to meet that's kind of the way we phrase it Just somebody would like you to meet a friend, a family, different professions, different areas of life. You know and hope you're blessed. We believe that God is blessed. He just so blesses our time together. You've been listening to God's way radio. Depending on when you heard this, make sure to get in contact with us if you want any more information. If you maybe want to hear it again, we'll bring it back by popular demand, as it were. Again, god bless you and, as you've heard today, keep those around us in prayer that serve, keep the listening family in prayer and make sure to take the light of the Lord Jesus with you wherever you go today. God bless you.
Tiffany:We hope you enjoyed friends and family, unique conversations recorded and produced in our studios, where you get a chance to hear what God is doing in people's lives. Jesus tells us in John 15, verse 15, I have called you friends for all things that I heard from my father I have made known to you. So that's why we love to share these exclusive interviews with you. Our hope is that through their stories God will be made known to you. But you can only find them here on God's Way Radio. Just check God'sWayRadiocom for our full program schedule.