Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Tillman.
Ryan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in Rialto California, and while growing up, the only interaction I had with officers was negative. Once I had some officers pull up next to me and start cussing me out for being on the phone. There was another occasion where I was driving through a nice neighborhood and a guy claimed to be a deputy and said I looked suspicious and that I needed to leave, or he would call his friends to come arrest me. So, I really only had a negative view of police officers.
After college, I was working retail and knew I needed to make a change. A family friend suggested I look into law enforcement. My mentality was, “I’m not about to be working for the man, I’m not about to be a pig.” That mentality was all based on my interactions I had when I was younger, coupled with all the bad publicity we see on TV about cops. But I prayed about the situation because I’m a very spiritual guy. I said, “God, if this is what you want me to do, then open the door; if not, close the door.” I put my applications out to a few agencies, and I got picked up by Chino PD. I went to the academy and graduated number two overall in my class. These were signs, but I still didn’t know if I wanted to be a cop at that point.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When I started on patrol, I realized a lot of my negative perceptions of law enforcement were based on false information. I started to see why police officers do what they do, that there’s a reason why we exist. I also realized I can do the job the way Ryan wants to do it, within the confines of the law obviously. I didn’t have to be a stereotypical hard-nosed cop.
This was right around the time Ferguson happened. My friends and some of my family didn’t like that I was a cop, but I remember thinking they just needed to understand why we do what we do. So, I had a conversation with my mom. She asked herself what I would have done had I been in that Ferguson officer’s shoes, and she concluded I would have done the same exact thing. Then she said, “And I know that my son is a loving husband, a loving son, a loving dad to his kids.” That conversation really made me realize that a lot of the negative perception people have of law enforcement is based on what they see on TV as opposed to real life. That was the start of Breaking Barriers United.
Please tell us about Breaking Barriers United (BBU).
To bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community. Going back to the conversation I had with my mother, I realized that when my mom changed her perspective on law enforcement, that only happened because her son is a police officer. Had I not been her son, she wouldn’t have understood. So, I knew early on that I had to humanize myself. I needed to allow people to see “Ryan” instead of “Police Officer Ryan.”
I created a presentation called the “Initiative Workshop” where I tell my story about who I am and where I come from. I show audience members photos of me, my family members, what I look like when I’m not working, the whole nine yards. Then I talk about why I became a police officer, my bad interactions with officers when I was young. I ask the audience if they’ve ever had a bad experience with cops and most of the audience always raises their hands, and we discuss it. Then I talk about the training that I receive, why we do the training we do and that’s really to debunk a lot of the myths about cops because there are so many myths out there.
Then I bring up some audience members on stage and we do police scenarios – I’m the bad guy and they must overcome whatever resistance I’m giving them. I take them through a domestic violence scenario, a traffic stop scenario, a 5150 scenario. I research real-life situations where officers have been killed or hurt and I use those scenarios on stage. Of course, everybody fails miserably every time. Once we finish the scenarios, we debrief. Then people start to see law enforcement differently. I’m able to communicate in a way they understand, with transparency and honesty, which is key. The only way we’re going to be able to bridge the gap is through transparency.
Transparency is what sets me apart and I truly believe there is nothing out there that exist like us yet. I have discovered a way to be an effective Police Officer while changing the stereotype of what we view most police officers, specifically by minorities. I’m not afraid to call out the bad officers; however, I’m also going to defend those that don’t deserve to be prosecuted. The same goes for members of the community.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m not a firm believer in luck honestly. I personally am more of a spiritual guy and have a personal belief in Jesus Christ. I truly believe that I was given a gift by God and I am really just being used as a vessel and conduit for true change.
Contact Info:
- Website: BreakingBarriersUnited.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Breaking_Barriers_United
- Facebook: Breaking Barriers United
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