Phoenix Before The Badge: Cmdr. Ed DeCastro, Middle School Teacher

Phoenix AZ

06 April, 2021

7:51 AM

Description

Press release from the City of Phoenix: April 4, 2021 Phoenix Police officers come from many different backgrounds, including different careers. The department's video series, 'Before the Badge,' is profiling some of those careers, and the diversity they bring to the department today. The leader of the Phoenix Police Department's Violent Crimes Bureau hasn't always had his eye on policework. In fact, he started his professional career as a teacher. Born in Florida, Commander Ed DeCastro grew up in MIami, and went to Florida State to get his bachelors in math education. A couple years after college, he moved his life to Phoenix. "I legitimately just wanted to move," Commander DeCastro recalled. "I had no job or anything. So I came out here and I figured oh I'm a teacher, I'll get a job easily. And it actually worked out." In 1996, Decastro started at Isaac Middle School as a sixth grade, bilingual science and math teacher. He went on to spend four years there, teaching and helping with extracurricular activities like student council and softball. But around the fourth year of teaching, he said he became disheartened with the job. That is when a chance friendship developed. "The school resource officer at the time, Steve Scott, we became good friends," the commander said. "And so we would go out to lunch, and talk, and I was kind of venting about how I was feeling. And he said, 'you know what, I think you'd be a really good cop.'" The very next day, DeCastro said Officer Scott had a Phoenix Police officer application on his desk. Three months later, Decastro had his date to go to the academy, and resigned from teaching. "I wanted to be a teacher because I wanted to, I wanted to help the community, I wanted to help kids," DeCastro explained. "My thought process was, well this is just a different way to help the community." Since graduating from the academy, DeCastro has moved his way up the ranks to commander of the department's Violent Crimes Bureau, where he deals with all violent crime in Phoenix. One might not immediately see the connection between teaching and policing, but Commander DeCastro said his career before the badge taught him skills that help him lead this bureau today. "You have to be organized," Commander DeCastro said of the similarity between jobs. "You have to kind of know what you're going into and how to do things. Otherwise, it becomes way too overwhelming. You definitely have to be flexible. So, things change here quickly, so you have to be able to adjust. And then just being creative. I think sometimes we get so stuck in the box of 'this is how we've always done it, and we're not going to change,' that sometimes, having a different perspective and just giving something new a try, and seeing how it works, is a better idea than just because that's how we've always done it." This press release was produced by the City of Phoenix. The views expressed here are the author's own.