From troubled-teen to Special Constable: How one Hamilton man turned his life around

Rudy Sanchez, 31, works as a special constable at the John Sopinka Courthouse in Hamilton — but the path he took to get here had many twists and turns along the way.

“A special constable is an officer who works within closed environments, the courthouse, police stations. We are now assisting officers on the road, expanding role,” he said.

Sanchez was only 13 when someone close to him was first arrested, leaving him with an initial impression of police officers that wasn’t positive.

“I would say there was distrust,” he recalled. “I saw this person as amazing the best person, I didn’t know the side the police were seeing. It was hard to grasp that for sure.”

Shortly after, Sanchez got involved with a local organization called Liberty For Youth — a local group that works with at-risk and troubled teenagers.

“I think once I got involved with Liberty For Youth, they were affiliated with police and working with at-risk youth, I started seeing them at the program and saw that they help out the youth. I saw them in a different light at that point, and then thought maybe I could do that and motivate somebody like myself who was going through some stuff.”

Sanchez studied policing in college, but his first career involved working with at-risk youth in foster homes. Still, he always knew that policing was something he wanted to pursue — and 8 months ago he was sworn in as a Special Constable.

Fredrick Dryden, the Executive Director for Liberty For Youth said Sanchez’s story means everything to him. “[It’s] why we exist. He has found purpose, becoming a police officer is what he’s always wanted to be.”

Dryden started Liberty For Youth in 2003, and since then, the organization has helped over a thousand at-risk youth in Hamilton. He says that 83 percent of those in the program have gone on to graduate from college or university.

“We work with 120 youth per year, about 30 per cent of those kids are from guns, drugs, probation. The others are from good homes, [with] bad mistakes,” Dryden said.

Hamilton’s chief of police Frank Bergen said that seeing someone who was born and raised in Hamilton who went through a program like Liberty For Youth and wanted to be involved with the department is exciting.

“The best recruit is one whose had life and lived experiences,” Bergen said. “We need to appeal to everybody in our community. Rudy has the character, moral compass, and courage. It gives me such pride.”

While Sanchez is working at the John Sopinka courthouse right now as a special constable, he plans to one day be sworn in as a fully-fledged police officer.