Ask A Cop
Ask A Cop is live and unscripted. Each episode gives other officers and the community a window into a police officer's world and provides authentic community engagement with law enforcement professionals.Listeners can relate by asking questions, hearing some of their own struggles, and finding solutions. Despite preconceived notions, these men and women, who serve and protect, are approachable and eager to answer questions. This resource provides meaningful engagement for officers, their families, and the community. As chaplains, we have witnessed the immeasurable rewards of simply sitting down and having these positive conversations. Produced in partnership with Gods Way Radio.
Ask A Cop
029: How a does someone go from Teacher to FBI to Deputy Chief - Noel Gil (Deputy Chief of Sweetwater PD and Retired FBI)
Ever wonder what it takes to transition from a career in education to leading a police department? Join us as we sit down with Deputy Chief Noel Hill of the Sweetwater Police Department, who reveals his extraordinary journey from teaching high school students to becoming a pivotal figure in law enforcement. Born to Cuban parents in Miami, Hill's story is one of resilience and dedication, shaped by his educational pursuits at South Miami Senior High and Florida International University, and his 11-year stint in the Navy Reserves. Through his narrative, Hill shares how mentorship and family values steered him towards a career that impacts his community profoundly.
In this episode, we also discuss the critical importance of mental health support for law enforcement officers. Hear personal experiences from both Deputy Chief Hill and myself, as we navigate the pressures of the job and the necessity of communication to maintain mental well-being. From forming a gang task force in Homestead to the meaningful role of the FBI Police, Hill sheds light on the various facets of his career. A heartfelt caller from downtown Miami even joins in, expressing deep gratitude for Hill's contributions, solidifying the community's appreciation for its law enforcement officers.
The episode continues to explore the significant relationships and experiences that have shaped Hill's career. We delve into the value of having experienced officers in leadership positions and the role of faith in overcoming dangerous situations. Through testimonials and anecdotes, we celebrate Deputy Chief Hill not just as a public servant but as a husband, father, brother, and son. Tune in to understand the profound human side of law enforcement and the indispensable role of mentorship, family support, and community connection in ensuring a safe and harmonious environment for all.
This is Ask a Cop, a conversation with those serving our community in law enforcement. We're connecting to ask questions, hear perspectives and continue to build a relationship between the community and officers. If you'd like to connect with us, stay tuned after this episode to learn how. Right now, though, get ready to Ask a Cop.
Speaker 2:Right now, though, get ready to ask a cop. We have Adrian here with us. He's no stranger to you. Good morning, Adrian. Just want to make sure they hear your voice so they don't think I'm making it up. Good morning, Good morning, how would you say? The soaring in. I've seen a lot of officers begin their careers. I've seen a lot of officers transition. You know I don't want to say end their careers, because I think once you're a law enforcement, it's in your blood. You know, when you sit in a restaurant you're watching the doors. You're always, you know, fighting in a sense, crime protecting, serving. But your soaring in it was special, together with Chief of the Sweetwater Police Department, Chief Diaz, a special individual. I've grown to respect him and love him dearly. But then you also Deputy Chief Noel Hill. Good morning, Good to have you with us.
Speaker 3:Good morning Pastor. It is my pleasure to be here. I am honored, humbled for the invite and I am grateful to be here with both of you today. So thank you very much Thank you.
Speaker 2:You know, last time that the Chief Hill was here, chief Fernandez was here. Somebody had to stay minding the shop.
Speaker 1:Yes, so you were there.
Speaker 2:You were working on budgeting you know, getting every number, crunching the numbers, making sure everything worked out Right and you still found time to call. I so appreciated that. Yes, it says something about you. Team player. Now, Deputy Chief Hill. Let's get started. Where are you from? Where does Noel Hill start at? What's your place of?
Speaker 3:origin. So I was born and raised here in Miami to Cuban parents that came back in the mid-50s to this country and I was, like I said, born and raised here, went through school here. I am a proud alumni of South Miami Senior High, the Cobras All right, and I went on to Miami-Dade back then Miami-Dade Community College. I graduated from there Yep, graduated from there in criminal justice technology 119th.
Speaker 5:Street.
Speaker 3:Over on South Campus so on 104th on 104th over there.
Speaker 3:And then I went to Florida International University where I got my bachelor's degree and I went to, always wanted to help and serve. So early on, right after I graduated high school, I actually went into the Navy Reserves where I did 11 years, wow, and enjoyed every minute of it, got to travel to some great places, go on some great trainings, meet some wonderful people. And then when I graduated college, I actually stumbled on teaching. So I went to G Holmes Braddock Senior High. It had just opened. I was there from 90 through 93. That place is like a maze. It's got so many students.
Speaker 3:It was so back then it was the largest high school in the Southeast United States. Wow. So the first year we had only 3,900 students, and I say only because the following year we had 5,100. Wow, that's like the size of some small town. Yes, that is, that is so. It was a great experience. What an incredible career, probably one of the, I would say, the most rewarding career, because I have ran into students years later that have really become success stories and it was wonderful to see them and to run into them and you know and see what they've become. So that was a great, great career.
Speaker 2:So I do a reset here. You're listening to ask a cop, where community and cops connect. By the way, you can call, you can text. This program is live right now, although it's recorded, so you may be uh, hearing it again and uh, and still getting the benefit, getting the reward of listening.
Speaker 2:One of our goals here, deputy Deputy Chief, is to in a sense, present the cop to the community. You know we've had times of tension, you know where. Unfortunately, there's bad apples everywhere Doctors, pastors, attorneys, everywhere you go in life, you got an element, but we shouldn't allow one to tarnish all the good, and so the purpose here is to show that law enforcement LEOs, as we call them, law enforcement officers, they're human beings, you know, and they're human beings with high value for life, for communities. And so what I'm getting from you is you're just an every average day guy. You know, you're born of Cuban parents here, born and raised in Miami, go to school here in Miami and then, all of a sudden, you're, of all the professions you could choose, you choose a profession where, again, you're giving and you're trying to shape people's lives. You know, make a contribution. So I'm wondering, my next question is going to be how in the world. Do you go from that to law enforcement, where your life is on the line? So I?
Speaker 3:you know I always wanted to become a law enforcement officer. I actually thought I was going to graduate from college and the next day I'd be at the FBI Academy.
Speaker 2:So not only you wanted to be law enforcement, you had your eyes on the FBI.
Speaker 3:On the FBI? Yes, so it didn't quite work that way. So the FBI is, you know, they require you to be, to have come from another career. They want to make sure that the people are established, they're mature, coming in. So the average age of an FBI agent is about 30 years old. So I went to go work. I did an internship when I was at FIU with the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, and I had a wonderful field training officer by the name of Wally Sabria, and Wally would always tell me you need to be a local law enforcement before you ever go federal. And one fine day I go to visit him after I had done my internship and he gives me an application for, back then, the Metro-Dade Police Department. So he goes you have to fill this out, you have to do this. I was already teaching at the time and I started to fill it out and started to go through the process and one thing led to another and about a year later I was hired with the Metro Dade Police Department. What year was that that?
Speaker 3:was 1993, 30 years ago, 30 years ago. So hence the 10 hash marks on my sleeve.
Speaker 3:So I went to go work for Metro. Dade Enjoyed it, loved it. They assigned me to the Northside District. I was there for five years Great experience. I again wanted to, you know, continue to serve the public in a very positive way. So I had the opportunity to become a school resource officer, and I was actually the very last school resource officer that the county had, because the county abolished the program in October of 1997. So they allowed me to stay because they knew by that point that I was going to be leaving. I was going to be leaving, so I got the call back in late 97 that I was hired to the FBI after about seven years.
Speaker 2:That's a dream come true.
Speaker 3:Right, that was my dream come true. That was my dream come true. So I had the great pleasure of honored. Honored because it is truly a godsend, because there's about 9,800 applicants a year to the FBI, wow, and only about a third of them get hired to become special agents. Right. So, truly humbled, got the opportunity, went to Quantico in March of 98. Right, got there to a very cold Quantico if you're from Miami, so that was a little uh challenge that was a little challenging especially having to do the morning PT and stuff like that in 30 degree weather for anyone listening, not from Miami that below 75.
Speaker 5:yeah, we're cold. Yeah, we, we're cold, we're cold, it's jacket weather. It's jacket weather.
Speaker 4:That is true.
Speaker 3:So went up there. Uncle Sam, in its ultimate wisdom, assigned me to the Richmond division of the FBI.
Speaker 2:So what does that entail? What are the responsibilities, the challenges there in the Richmond division?
Speaker 3:So I went to Richmond, I was assigned to work bank robberies and started working bank robberies. I had some experience in working street gangs and I say that because working a bank robbery that I had, it was done by gang members and that propelled me to start a gang task force in the Richmond division of the FBI. Wow.
Speaker 2:You know it's interesting. You just reminded me I flashed back on that terrible, terrible, terrible bank robbery in Dateland many years ago and I don't know if you were exposed to that. I mean, you were probably a kid.
Speaker 3:No, yeah, I was a kid. I remember it.
Speaker 2:I remember how you would experience that and then go into the FBI, and now you're on the side of trying to prevent that from happening or catch the guys that break the law.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you're talking about the April 11th 1986 situation. I was a senior in high school actually I recall that vividly.
Speaker 2:Now, back then, you already had your eyes on law enforcement and FBI, or no, I did, I did. You had your eyes on law enforcement and FBI, or no, I did, I did I had actually written a paper an English class about the FBI that I had turned in.
Speaker 3:I was getting it. I believe I was getting it reviewed that day. I had to present it that day, on April 11th. That's one of the great impacts. Lost two great heroes that day, jerry Dove and Ben Grogan. God bless them, true heroes that unfortunately succumbed to their injuries and died.
Speaker 2:We learn. I mean outpowered, outgunned, you know in a sense. But you're listening to Ask a Cop. You're going to get a podcast. You get this program first Tuesday of the month. This is God's Way Radio.
Speaker 2:It's a privilege to have with us deputy chief with sweetwater police department, with us getting to know him, getting to know law enforcement officers. Back to you, deputy chief noel, it's interesting for me to see that you're an average individual in the sense that you had a dream. You know and and how many of you listening what, what's your dream? What's your dream in a profession? So it kind of shows me and what highlights I want to highlight this that you're not a person that just wants a gun or fight crime. You're a person that has dreams, aspirations, you want to make a contribution to the community and you are also a person that you know you abide by the rules.
Speaker 2:You know there's a guideline to go in law enforcement first, local community, and so it sounds to me like somebody was kind of like the term in church world is discipling. I guess the term in the world is mentoring. Maybe you want to talk a little bit about that. We have law enforcement listening. I'm not sure every law enforcement is always aware of mentoring someone next to you. What would you have?
Speaker 3:to say about that, deputy Chief. So I think mentoring is very important right? Not only every day, obviously. You have mentors in your life, recognizing them or not. My family was always a big part of that A big part of my dad, my aunt, my uncles, my mother.
Speaker 2:Law enforcement also.
Speaker 3:No, not law enforcement, no, not at all. But they were always very much instilling in me the right to serve, right To serve your man you know mankind and things of that nature to serve your man, mankind and things of that nature. So I learned a lot from that and I wanted to do just that, of being able to serve. And at the end of the day, part of that mentoring is the Lord Almighty that you try to follow and try to help man just like he has each and every day. So that's very important. That has been very important.
Speaker 2:You know, it's interesting that I hear mentoring and you know, it's kind of like one of the challenges where I'm stretched in these days that everything seems to be money, fame, you know. But your mentoring is leave this world a little bit better than when you found it, absolutely. What did your father do? What kind of what was his? So your profession?
Speaker 3:so my dad was actually a? Uh a truck driver, that's right. So he worked for a company called rinker. Uh worked for gosh. I don't know about 30 years for them. It seems 30, 30, 40 years for them. Uh, by the industry in miami. If you've been in, miami a long time.
Speaker 2:You remember the rinker trucks yeah, I had the privilege of being with you and your family and your dad's homecoming, leaving this world, going to heaven. But the reason I bring it up is again, anyone listening you don't have to be a superstar in a sense, like a brain surgeon to mentor, to influence, and you could just be a person that abides by guidelines, you know honesty, truth, an honest day, work for an honest day.
Speaker 2:You know job, but anyway continuing your career, you said. Did I get it right? How many years you've been in law enforcement? 30, 30,?
Speaker 3:30 years.
Speaker 2:So in 30 years you go from starting as a law enforcement officer in my Metro day back then police department to the FBI. Tell us a little bit about your career From there. Where did you go and what kind of turns what happens along?
Speaker 3:the way. So I went like I said. I started off in Richmond. I did bank robberies, did gang work. About three years into being in Richmond, I had the itch of trying to get back to home, to Miami. Nothing like Miami. No, there's nothing like Miami. If you're born and raised in Miami, there's nothing like Miami.
Speaker 2:From here, I'm ready for heaven. That's what my dad would say. Here's the place, yeah.
Speaker 3:So it was. I'm wondering how am I going to get back to Miami? So the Bureau has what they call an Office of Preference list, an OP list, which it changes names all the time. I don't know what it's called today, but you know at any rate. So I put my name on the OP list. Miami had at the time about a 12-year wait list to get to Miami and I'm like, oh, I'm not going to, you know, can't do that. So I learned that if you go to Puerto Rico which the Bureau considered that a hardship after five years you go wherever you want.
Speaker 2:I gave you a brain my friend, so I raised my hand.
Speaker 3:Puerto Rico Went to Puerto Rico. I gave you a brain, my friend, so I raised my hand. Puerto Rico Went to Puerto Rico. I was assigned. So in the FBI you have the field offices and then you have the satellite offices they call them resident agencies. So I went to the Ponce RA out of the San Juan division you know, out of the San Juan division so went over there, spent five years over there working with incredible professionals not only from the FBI but also from the police of Puerto Rico that were assigned to us. So we had a task force of about 67 division-wide, 67 POPR officers and some municipal officers. So, like I said, work street gangs out there most of my career. The highlight, though, of my stay in Puerto Rico was that I got to meet my lovely wife. Wow, yes, Good, good. So I've met my lovely wife of now 20 years, and she definitely made my stay in Puerto Rico very pleasant.
Speaker 5:It definitely took away the hardship portion.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, yes absolutely Her and her family. You know God bless them. They were able to. You know god bless them. They were able to. Uh, you know, bring me in and uh, and and family, almost from the beginning, hospitable people. Yes, that's one thing about the boricuas they're, they're just just a big heart.
Speaker 2:You know you're yeah you're around them and you sense that warmth. You know I I grew up in new york city. My dad pastor church there with puerto ricans and la capurria, the food puerto rican food, the pasteles, I mean just amazing people.
Speaker 3:Exquisite, exquisite, great place to be for the holidays. You know it's just one giant party from Thanksgiving week into La Joctavitas, so it's just one giant party for two weeks.
Speaker 2:So you're in Puerto Rico, you're in the FBI. You get married. I like what you said, man Pleasant, stay in Puerto Rico. You're in the FBI, you get married. I like what you said, man Pleasant, stay in Puerto Rico. But what is it about you, that man? Your sight is still on Miami. So tell us about that transition from Puerto Rico. How did you finally get here to Miami?
Speaker 3:So I told my wife, I said you know, from the beginning, I want to go back home. This is where I really want to be, and thank God for her. She supported me, she supported this career and if you went to my swearing in, you know that I talked about it about my hero, because at the end of the day, she's the one that has made my career awesome. You know possible and and it's been awesome.
Speaker 2:so you know, the bible says a wise woman builds her home and it also says the other contrast, that says a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands. And so just listening to you, I mean I know you guys, but I'm getting to know more how you know she could have said no, we stay in puerto rico, I want to be close to my parents, but just to support you and to see it. And so of many serenades that I've been to and they probably done this in others, but I don't know why this one, it caught my attention. How you're being promoted, you get your deal, but you had some roses, you had some flowers for her.
Speaker 2:You know, and chief ds did, did as well, but that that really caught my attention. I didn't know you back then but I thought, man, this man he's got some human qualities of a heart. That man, I think we're blessed in our community, sweetwater Police Department, the church here and myself, and having your friendship, but I didn't mean to interrupt you. So you're making your way from Puerto Rico back to Miami. Sorry to interrupt you. Go ahead and continue that, sir.
Speaker 3:No, so I finally, after five years over there, I got back to Miami. I was honored in the sense that I got back to Miami and I didn't go to the Miami division, although assigned to the Miami division of the FBI. They actually sent me to now Miami-Dade Police Robbery Bureau to work out of the Robbery Bureau. So, unlike most police officers that get assigned to the FBI, I was the reverse. I got assigned to Miami-Dade and I worked with some great detectives over there. We were doing robberies, a lot of commercial robberies mainly, and we were also doing what was called the South American Theft Group Task Force, where it was basically mainly of South American descent that were doing robberies, mainly of traveling jewelry salesmen. So we did a lot of those cases, had a great time did that for about three years back in Miami-Dade.
Speaker 2:What year is this that you?
Speaker 3:come back, so I got back in 06. Okay, so I got back in 06. Very different Miami than what you left. It was a very different Miami and from a criminal crime, law and order, protect and serve.
Speaker 2:What would you say are the challenges to that or the encouragements, the inspiration, the Miami you left, the Miami you came to, if you recall, if you think it's worth talking about?
Speaker 3:So I mean, you know Miami's always had. It's a big metropolitan city, right? So big metropolitan cities always have their challenges when it comes to crime and what is the flavor of the day, right? So that's all governed by you know how easy it is to get to the money. So you know, as you well know, back in the 80s and 90s, early 90s, it was all about, you know, mainly the drug trade. Not that that has disappeared, but I think law enforcement has done a great job of attacking it. And it's not I don't think it's as prevalent, although you know as it used to be right.
Speaker 2:So you don't get the.
Speaker 3:It's as prevalent although you know, yeah, as it, as it used to be, right. So, uh, you don't get the. It's very rare now that you get a regular patrolman stopping a car that has, you know, 10, 15 kilos, like it used to be back in the late 80s and early 90s, right that that was kind of like almost like a common place. So, uh, it's just it. You know, it's just what is the new flavor of the day? So I'm not sure that I would say that I was working the new flavor of the day. It was just a way to curve a problem that was existing, you know, with some of the commercial robberies, some of these groups that were you, that were attacking these mom and pop grocery stores and 7-Elevens and things like that. So we were going after that and taking those cases federally, where the impact is a lot greater. So 2006,.
Speaker 2:You're back. By the way, you're listening to Ask a Cop. This is God's Way Radio 104.7 FM on your radio dial. You could also download the app, and then you go to Android Apple Store. You type in God's Way Radio 104.7 FM on your radio dial. You could also download the app. And then you go to Android Apple Store. You type in God's Way Radio, you install that Fuacata. I always say that Now you've got the station and you can take it with you wherever you go.
Speaker 2:This is the program Ask a Cop. Our guest today is Deputy Chief Noel Hill. Many years experience with law enforcement. Back to you, deputy Chief.
Speaker 2:I wanted to ask you so 2006,? You're with the FBI. What happens? Because I know you're in a different place right now. Walk us through that.
Speaker 2:Walk the listener and what I'm trying to get at is maybe that law enforcement that thinks you know I come to work every day. Will anything ever happen for me? Is it just some people? What happened to you? And then, after that, I want to go every day. Will anything ever happen for me? Is it just some people? What happened to you? And then, after that, I want to go to?
Speaker 2:What do you think are some of the key elements that have helped you to get to where you are, to where you are today. And through that travel, it seems to me that you know I'm around you and I'm wondering does this guy ever have a bad day? You know, it's always like. You know your mind is on. You got a good perspective, but again, to help the law enforcement and then also to help the average citizen, you know, to get to know law enforcement. What is it about you that you know? You've traveled your law enforcement career. Seems that throughout it, you, you, you were well-focused, good, head on your shoulders. But 2006, you're back in Miami, from there, detached to Metro Day Police Department, to where you are today. Walk us through that.
Speaker 3:So, uh, I think that one of the big key points here was the fact that in 2011,. So I had a small stint in 2009 where I went to our Homestead RA, to our Homestead Resident Agency, where I started up a gang task force out there. That's what they wanted me to do Went out there in 2011. I did one of my career goals right.
Speaker 3:So when I walked into the FBI March 29th 1998, I'm driving into Quantico, into the FBI compound at Marine Corps Base Quantico, and as I'm going in, I see these guys in a blue uniform and it says FBI police. And I'm like gosh, what's that all about? You know a uniform division in the FBI, so I started asking about you know what that all entailed and stuff like that. Got to meet a sergeant at the time and he tells me all about the FBI police and he goes. You know, the interesting thing about this is, uh, you have to the the chief and back then they had three assistant chiefs are all special agent positions, so it's not within the uniform division, it's outside of the uniform division. So you know our, our leaders are special agents and and they go, and one of the requirements is that you have to be a former cop, so I was like I'm in, this is what I want to do, so and sorry to interrupt you we got a call.
Speaker 2:Hey, good morning. Ask a cop, what area, town are you calling from?
Speaker 4:good morning. I'm calling from the great city of miami, downtown miami, hey it's good to have downtown miami checking.
Speaker 2:What do you want to say this morning?
Speaker 4:Well, I see that today you have Deputy Chief from the Sweetwater PD. Yes, sir, his name is Noel Gill. Yes, sir, my name is Constance Roseman and I just want to let you all know that you all are a blessing, not only to me but, I'm sure, to many in the community. Thank you, sir. But as far as Noel Gill goes, wow, it's amazing that Sweetwater has been blessed with such a top cop and thank you all for having him on air today. And I wasn't able to hear all of the interview, but I'm looking forward to being able to revamp, to hear the recording, because I'm sure that started off well.
Speaker 2:Good. Well, it's so good to have your call, it's so good to have one of Miami's finest calling in today, and we're going to follow that trend. We need to get you here behind the mics sometime soon, so get yourself ready. I don't know if you have any other comments for Deputy Chief Hill or any law enforcement that's listening today, because my prayer is that this is where community and cops connect. So we're reaching to the community. We want to showcase law enforcement, good cops, to the community. We want the community to be inspired also by law enforcement. So, sir, you got the mic any way. You want to go before you hang up.
Speaker 4:Yes, I just want to let you know, as far as you and the crew that's there that's conducting these interviews, we thank you for your service, because this is definitely needed in the community, where we're able to open up a line of communication so folks are able to call in and see what we're really about. We laugh, we cry and we hurt, just like everybody else, and it's very important that we have this, noel, I thank you very much, chief Noel, I thank you very much for your service, and not only federally but here locally, and I think it's an asset not only to the community but to other law enforcement officers like myself that are here looking at you as a mentor. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 3:I have to thank you. I am so honored and pleased that you have called my friend. I just can't say enough. I've known this man since I was with Metro Dade back then. Oh wow, I didn't know that. So he was with school board over in Region 4, and I was over assigned so I would work a lot with the Region 3 guys. But I knew of Constance. I had got the great pleasure to meet him and then we ran into each other again when I got back Well, actually when I had retired out of the FBI. So what a gentleman. I am honored and blessed that you have called. Thank you so much.
Speaker 4:Thank you so much, my friend. God bless you all.
Speaker 3:God bless you.
Speaker 4:The community will continue to pray for all of law enforcement here in Dade County. We really have the best of the best and, as always, there's always good and there's bad. But you know what, for the most part we're all working here to make sure our community is safe. Thank you, sir.
Speaker 3:God bless you all, Thank you my friend.
Speaker 2:Thank you. I love you, sarge. Hey, you made my day, I'm glad I came to work today, he always makes everybody's day.
Speaker 5:He really does, special guy, what a great individual.
Speaker 2:So you're listening to Ask a Cop or Community and Cops Connect. This is God's Way. Radio 104.7 FM on your radio dial. And you know, it's interesting, deputy Chief, how I don't know you guys were together. It's like I'm sitting here and I'm watching how God brings his agents together, you know men of principle, men of devotion, men of conviction, men of faith and I would say men of Jesus.
Speaker 6:I got to say that because it's still a free country.
Speaker 3:Yes, no, absolutely, and you're absolutely correct.
Speaker 1:So back.
Speaker 3:On both, on all sides.
Speaker 5:But without really knowing and without knowing that, did you know at that time? Was your position as deputy chief already when you were at the class with Roseman?
Speaker 3:No, no, no, no, no, no, no, and I'll get to that Okay no.
Speaker 6:And I'll get to that.
Speaker 3:Okay, okay, so we'll get to that.
Speaker 5:But, it even, ties it in more.
Speaker 2:It's just amazing. So you're listening to Ask a Cop. Our guest this morning at this time is Deputy Chief Noel Hill Gil. I always pronounce that name G. I don't know.
Speaker 3:So in Spanish it's Hill, in English it's Gil. In English it's Gil, but it doesn't matter. So it depends what I'm thinking, if I'm on the Spanish side or the English side.
Speaker 2:But the point is a man of 30-plus years in law enforcement career and a man that you could see that it's not what people think, it's a professional, he's a man with a mission, he's a man with a vision and his mission and his vision is to serve the community, make it safe and make sure that while we sleep we can wake up to a place that we don't have thugs and criminals running the streets, but it's law and order and abiding citizens. Thank you for what you do, sir. Back to you. You were walking us through. Oh, we got another call. Hey, good morning, ask a cop. You. Oh, we got another call. Hey, good morning, ask a Cop. You're here live.
Speaker 6:What town are you calling from? Hi, I'm calling from Miami, Florida. My name is Maria Gil.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness, You're the chief lady here. We have a deputy chief, but you're the chief.
Speaker 3:So what do you want to say? My wonderful sister thank you for calling. I thought it was your wife. I'm sorry, okay, okay you're the co-chief.
Speaker 6:Yeah, the wife is the chief, but go ahead, go ahead maria, so I had to call in because I love all of you guys as you know, I'm a little biased. I'm the baby sister to the wonderful chief and I just had to say you know, I know you guys are talking about my brother's accolades and everything, but he is very first a husband, father and brother and he's such an amazing man and I just love listening to this radio station thank you wish you guys love thank you lots of blessings thank you, I so appreciate that.
Speaker 2:I appreciate you and you left one out. He's also a good son, he said, you said you said. You said father, husband, brother good, but it's always also a good son. It's a privilege to know him, to know you, to have you in our family and thank you for calling in. Call the wife, tell her to call too thank you honey, love you thank you god bless you god bless you again.
Speaker 2:ask a cop, and I hope you get the flavor. You know human beings, human beings, they, they have a uniform, they have a badge, they do have a weapon and that's to protect us and they need to use the weapon. We were talking about the bank robbery many years ago and talked about that, but we have somebody else calling in. Deputy Chief, you're bringing a lot of calls in. Oh, they hung up. Please call us back, 786-313-3115. Back to you. Walk us through the career you were walking us through.
Speaker 3:So, at any rate, in 2011, I got the opportunity to actually go up to FBI headquarters as the deputy chief of the FBI police.
Speaker 2:So the FBI— so you went too fast. So you find out that there's a uniformed division in the FBI which I wasn't aware of. I'm so the FBI. So you went too fast. So you find out that there's a uniformed division FBI which I wasn't aware of I'm learning that now and then you find out that their chief is a special agent. Yeah, it's a special agent position right, and then you wanted to get information on that.
Speaker 3:So I started getting information on that. I figured out. So one of the things that I realized early, very, very early on in my career, is that I wanted to be the chief or the deputy chief or the assistant chief for the.
Speaker 3:FBI police at some point In 2011,. The position opens up and I applied, I interviewed, I went through all the interviews at the different levels of the security division of the FBI and got selected Wow. So I went up to headquarters to basically be the deputy chief of the FBI police, doing much of like what I do today. So I had the administrative division having the budget, training, internal affairs, investigations, and we also had an intelligence division over at the FBI police. So I had all those training also, I forget and had all that, managing a budget of just about $38 million at the time.
Speaker 3:That's big times yeah 250 wonderful men and women that compose the FBI police. They are in five different commands, as we would call them, so in four different states. So I had guys in CEGIS, which is the Criminal Justice Information Center, over in Clarksburg, west Virginia. I had guys, obviously, at FBI headquarters, at the Washington field office at Quantico, at the FBI Academy in Quantico, at the New York division what's the number? How many people? So it was 250 at the time. Yeah, so 250 guys, and those were wonderful. Two years my family and I went up to DC. We were living in Alexandria.
Speaker 2:My oldest, was going to school, so you had to leave Miami for that time.
Speaker 3:Yes, so I had to leave Miami. Yes, I left Miami, went up to headquarters, had a wonderful time over there, went up to headquarters, had a wonderful time over there, and uh, and my son got to go to school up in dc, which was or up in northern virginia, and he loved that because it's like you know, you're, you're living the history. So they would go to field trips, to congress and to the white house and to all the museums and it it was. What a great experience it was for my family. So I really enjoyed that.
Speaker 2:Got back, so what happens? I mean, you think of some law enforcement and say, man, I'm living the dream, I'm going to ride this out at the sunset, but you don't. You know what is it that stirs in your heart? That obviously you came back to Miami. So how does?
Speaker 3:that happen. So I mean, I just enjoy what I do. So if you enjoy what you do, it's easy to wake up. So at all levels, I've always enjoyed what I've done and I've enjoyed. You know we were talking about mentoring early on, right, and I think as leaders, that's a very important thing that we have to do. To me, there would be no greater pleasure that the day that I leave the Sweetwater Police Department, that somebody from within can take my position. So that's all I seek is to better the folks that I work for, because as a leader, they don't work for me, they work for the mission, I work for them. So I need to work for my guys so that they can concentrate on the mission. So whatever it is that they need, and at the same time, mentor them and teach them so that they take my position.
Speaker 2:You know that's a hard. That's not just a mouthful, it's not just a mind. That's not just a mouthful, it's not just a mind, it's not just food for thought, but that's a heartful how. Wherever you are, you know you're a team player and your part, which is what separates the followers from the leaders as a leader, you're pouring into the people around you and you want to make them stronger, you want to make them more effective. And you're willing that one day they come in and they do your job.
Speaker 2:You know, here at church I learned one of the philosophies is work yourself out of a job. Yes, and you know, and I saw for so many years, pastors would do that, but they would hold on to the pulpit.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And you actually have to work yourself out of that also and let somebody else come in. But back to you, deputy Chief Hill, so you retire from the FBI to come to Miami or no.
Speaker 3:no, so I came back to Miami in 2013.
Speaker 2:Still in the FBI.
Speaker 3:Yeah, still in the FBI. And again the FBI, in their good graces, actually assigned me back and I don't know. Sometimes I think maybe they just didn't want me that close around, or whatever, but they assigned me back to the Miami-Dade Police Department, this time over at the training bureau.
Speaker 3:So we have three full-time agents at the training bureau that work there every day. They obviously lead and manage the FBI Miami's training, especially on the firearms and tactical side. So I became one of the instructors there and I basically did that for nearly well. I had a small stint in Panama somewhere between after I left FBI police and I was able to go to Panama as the acting legal attache to Panama. So that was a great experience. Got to experience that overseas FBI conduit into the investigations with foreign agencies. So I did that and that was a wonderful experience. So how many years in total with the FBI? 23. Wow. So how many years in total with the FBI? 23. Wow, 23, 23 years.
Speaker 2:So after 23 years, you finally decide it's time to transition. Tell us a little bit about that. What makes you?
Speaker 3:So I transitioned. I want to just say that my last four years, I was assigned to DOD, so the FBI sent me to work with the Department of Defense. So the FBI sent me to work with the Department of Defense and I worked with the heroes of alongside those guys to further, you know, not only US intelligence, but some of the criminal investigations that we were carrying overseas, and those guys are heroes every day. And so I got to work with those guys in December of 2020. I retired after a wonderful 23 years and went to. I took 10 wonderful months off. Everybody was like aren't you going crazy? I loved every moment of my retirement, so much so that I told my wife I go if I don't go back to work. I'm never going to go back to work. So this is 2020?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so this is 2020. That's before the COVID situation.
Speaker 3:No, that was you know, yeah, right through COVID, right. So I took 10 months off. We traveled, had a great time.
Speaker 3:I did a bunch of things around the house that had been honeydews, yeah for 16 years, yeah, and um, and then I, uh, I went to go work with the men and women of the doral police department, right, so my, my, my friends at the time, uh, hern and organ vides, and and and raul um ubiada, you know, I went to them and and it was really interesting because they're like, hey, listen, you know, we, we know your career and you know we can't bring you in into any ranking position because we, you know, it just wouldn't be fair to and I go, that's the last thing I want. It's like I want to go back to the road, you want to go back to the road to wear a body worn camera, and and and and I go, yeah, I want to experience that. I never did. I never experienced. Uh, I left the department when I was still writing uh, reports by hand, um, we still had the many forms, and um, and I, yes, so you know, I came into a department, the Doral Police Department with technology, body-worn camera, the whole nine yards, and did that for well, right, at about a year, because at one point I got the great call from the great Mayor, pepe Diaz, and the Chief, sergio Diaz, and they asked me if I wanted to interview for a position.
Speaker 3:So I did, I was honored, I was. You know, the last thing I was expecting was this. So I went through the process. I was like I got nothing to lose, you know. So I started going through the process and, you know, got to the short list and the next thing you know is you know, I, I started going through the process and, and you know, got to the short list and the next thing you know is you know, got selected.
Speaker 3:Man, wonderful, got selected. So I'm, I'm here and I got to meet some great people and you know I'm blessed and honored to work with the fine men and women of the, uh, sweetwater Police Department, um, and, and know, and, and and, having worked for Doral was, was incredible. What an incredible earning experience for me. Right, because now I really know what, what the guys in the department go through each and every day. You know what it is to wear a camera, which, by the way, I think it's an excellent tool, incredible tool makes you that much more professional testifying in court, being able to recall your cases, you know, just a great, great tool.
Speaker 2:Hey, you're listening to Ask a Cop. First Tuesday of the month we usually have a member from law enforcement, sometimes also from fire department, here for the community to connect, and this morning's guest is Deputy Chief Noel Hill Gil, and he's now Deputy Chief with the City of Sweetwater Police Department. Sir, I wanted to get your mindset. It sounds to me that man, god's been preparing you, pouring into you for so many years and sometimes, when you just think you're ready to transition, god opens up a new door. So we, we would like for you to take us into that door of sweet water and up and coming city, new mayor, new chief. You know, uh, chief diaz, a wonderful leadership and and uh, selecting you and frank fernandez you could tell that guy's sharp.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, I you know what an incredible man right.
Speaker 4:What an incredible experience.
Speaker 3:You talk about a man that is beyond qualified. You know to deal. I mean both Sergio and but Frank is. You know he leads our operations division. Yeah, and he's wonderful. You know he does a great job each and every day. He inspires me every day, you know, just to be better, and he's phenomenal. Headed the SOS for the city of Miami.
Speaker 3:SOS for the for the city of Miami. So he had all the toys and all the guys that did all the great special things, from the SWAT team to Marine patrol, to motors and bikes and and and everything else in between, right? So, uh, he's, he's great, he knows, uh, he knows the job, you know, uh, I'm sure he's forgotten more about law enforcement than I will ever know. So, and uh, and, like I said, I learn each and every day from the two of them, so I've been honored and blessed that they are, that they are with me and that they uh allow me to be part of the team.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we have a text message coming in this morning. Uh, you could text us. You could call us 786-313-3115. Here's the question. It says have you ever been in a situation where you prayed to God to spare your life in a dangerous situation and to this day, do you credit God with saving your life from the life-threatening situation? One of our listeners is texting that information and that question.
Speaker 3:So, listen, I pray to God every day. Amen, every day, just to not only get me out the door, but to do the right things to the people that I serve and protect, as well as to the colleagues I work with right, and I thank them each and every day that I get home With that said, have I been in hairy situations? I've been in a lot of hairy situations in 30 years. I spent 17 of my years in the Bureau on a Bureau SWAT team. Wow, so we got in a lot of hairy situations, been in several shootings, and I thank God that we came out in the winning end.
Speaker 2:One of the things not to interrupt you. But I just have to highlight this and I hope it's educational and informational to everybody that's listening. It's not the movies. It's not the movies. You know where you're in a situation traumatic, you know, and you just go and let's have a drink. It's real life.
Speaker 2:It affects your heart, especially when you care, especially when you're a human being, and so I'm delighted and honored that law enforcement before me today is a human being and I think the community needs to know that. So it's interesting to see you talk about it. And still there's emotions, there's engagements, because it's not that no law enforcement officer takes the job to just have a gun and use it. They take the job to protect, to serve, to make life better for us, the citizens. So we should be appreciative of that. So, sir, thank you, thank you for that and for allowing us, you know, to walk with you in some places that sometimes, man, you wish you wouldn't have to go, but the prayer is that as you go there, there's healing. The Lord brings you through. I like the way that the question was posed place, which is hey, do you thank God? And so appreciate your answer. You know we need to realize that law enforcement and excuse me for taking this time here you know you're the guest.
Speaker 3:No, no, no, please.
Speaker 2:I hope this is beneficial and makes a contribution, because you never know who's listening. They get taken into the traumatic experiences, but the average citizen needs to know that at any moment you know one decision. You're one decision away from wrecking your marriage.
Speaker 2:You're one decision away from wrecking your sons and daughters. You're one decision away from wrecking your parents. You're one decision away from wrecking your church. You know your family, your department, the agency that you represent. So the two ways that I want to go, and now I want to give you an opportunity, with your training, with your experience, to speak to the law enforcement, to maybe that law enforcement that they've blown it, that law enforcement that's trying to drown out his trauma. He's trying to drink it out, he's trying to sex it out, he's trying to gamble it out, fudging the numbers in the report, and sometimes these are not just bad people fudging the numbers in the report, and sometimes these are not just bad people. Sometimes these are upriding law enforcement. That started good, but they need to be reassigned if you would.
Speaker 2:They need to be redirected, so maybe you want to speak to that. The stresses of the job, you know, I mean SWAT, 17 years, god has held you man, it's amazing that you can walk and talk, but what would you say to that law enforcement? That's listening.
Speaker 3:And maybe your words are going to be the key to turn them back to how he started, how she started no-transcript timely manner. So, you know, I led from the front and I said you know, next dip school I'm going to go. So thank God I haven't had that preventable accident yet. You know, it may come and if it, and if it does, I'll go back to dip school, right? But at any rate, one of the things yesterday and I bring that out because one of the things yesterday is that the academy is putting in the Struggle Well program into a lot of the courses and it was more like a I took it like a infomercial, you know, a two-hour infomercial into into Go to Struggle Well, which I plan on doing that, I think, here at the beginning of next year. But it was great because you know it talks about things like the program of Struggle Well or or just going out and reaching out to your fellow law enforcement officers, right?
Speaker 3:Because, like I was talking to my wife and cousin just last night about it is, you know, oftentimes your spouse asks you hey, how was your day? And you're just like, oh, it's great, you know, because you're not going to go. Well, you know, honey, I responded today to a 19-year-old that took his life and life and you know a traffic accident where I got to see the guy you know. You know obliterated because of it. Uh and oh, by the way, honey, pass the potatoes because you know we're here eating. So it's one of those things that you just don't. But uh, because you oftentimes don't think that they understand they. They probably do understand the pain that you're going through, but you try not to share it to help them. But it's important that you talk to someone about it. You know that you deal with those emotions with your colleagues and talk to them.
Speaker 3:You know a lot of departments have employee assistance programs that are designed to help you. You know there's programs like Struggle. Well, the thing is, at the end of the day, talk about it. Know that you're not alone. Know that people are there to help you. Man, I'm here to help you. You know any any law enforcement officer. I've done this for 30 years, been involved in a lot of, you know situations that I'm sure may not have been as hard as the ones that you're going through, but I'm here to help, to help you, and I'm here to listen. I'm easy to find. You know I'm the deputy chief of the city of Sweetwater. Please reach out to me there if you need anything. I would be more than happy to sit down with you, treat you to a cup of coffee and talk about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just the fact that, man, you care enough to again tell the officer that's listening that things can be better. You know things can be better and I like what you say. You know the way that law enforcement is wired is to protect and serve. So how are you going to go to your family and talk about? You know the traumatic time you have.
Speaker 2:You want to protect and serve them, you know, but meanwhile you got to bottle this thing. You got to deal with that, which is hard to deal with. But you're saying men, talk to someone about it. We also have chaplain adrian here with us. Maybe you could say something. I mean, struggle well, has been mentioned and I don't know if you have something to say again to that law enforcement that's listening, that maybe they're. They're in a tough spot right now, emotionally, spiritually, their family, what would you say, chaplain?
Speaker 5:yeah, there's a way. I mean they found. You know, as you look at life, I I think so much great wisdom is found in struggle. You look at your heroes and there's none of them who didn't go through struggle. There is a way to struggle and just sometimes we're not the best trained at it because we're trained for other things. So, purpose by your own choices to find those ways, and I know that God is very familiar with struggle.
Speaker 5:Uh, as a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure that it was through the greatest struggle ever known to mankind, the death of an innocent man, that life was given to every human that trusts in that man. Right, jesus died for our sins and and that's how we can have life, uh, uh, thriving life. But, um, I did want to. We have very, very few minutes and just just because I know I sat with you, deputy Chief, a couple of weeks ago and there was one moment that I thought was and I'm sure there's many and we can hear, even in the question of situations, you know how they kind of come back to our mind but there was one situation, just for people to know, they think FBI agent, oh, just, you know, professional thai suit looking, probably drank coffee every day. Got to work at 10, 11, maybe left at two or three, you know because they look sharp cream puff job and they, you know, they think, but um, but you, you don't, you don't determine when you go to work, sometimes in that position, right sometimes?
Speaker 5:it's determined for you. Sometimes it's not very convenient when it happens. I don't know if you know what I'm talking about, but we have just a few minutes left, but I thought it's just a good moment for people to just see one little glimpse of one day, of a situation they probably would not want to have been in so first and foremost, thank you very much to the listener that sent in that text message, so just want to put that out.
Speaker 3:What you're talking about was the day. So God blessed me in December 25th of 2002 with the birth of my oldest son, christopher, and I was at the hospital, obviously, to see him born. I was staying with my wife at the hospital that evening and at about six o'clock in the morning on December 26, I get a call from my assistant special agent in charge and he calls me up and he goes hey, listen, we've had a hijacking situation on the high seas and we need you to respond. One of the many trainings that I went through in the FBI was I became a hostage negotiator or, as we call it in the FBI, a crisis negotiator. Right, because everything is not just hostages, and you know a lot of it, is just crisis people going through crisis. So he goes and we need you to go off to the coast of, off the coast of Haiti. That that's where the incident is. And I go yeah, no, you called the wrong guy because I just had a kid 24 hours ago, so you're going to have to call one of the other negotiators. He goes well, there's no other negotiator left on the island, I go. Well, you're going to have to call one from Miami and fly him out. I'm not going. My son was just born and he goes. You don't understand. I'm ordering you to go because we can't get anybody else and it's too late to send somebody from Miami.
Speaker 3:So I had to tell my wife, you know, because I did have to put food on the table. I had to tell my wife I had to go. Honey, I am leaving. I hope to come back before you depart the hospital, but if not, I'm sure that your parents will help us out. And I had to leave. I had to run and, for those of you that may know the island, I had to go from Pongse da Guadia to the Coast Guard base to be airlifted and dropped on a basket onto a Coast Guard cutter off the coast of Haiti. Right and deal with this situation.
Speaker 3:And because of the time, I'm not going to go into great detail, but deal with this situation where, at one point through the situation, after we had captured the bad guys because we did a ruse to get them, after we had captured the bad guys and I was talking to them in the whole nine yards.
Speaker 3:The executive officer of the Coast Guard cutter, comes to me and he goes oh sir, we just got permission from FBI headquarters. We're going to be steaming over to Gitmo where we're going to handle this situation out in Guantanamo I go. At that point I got really upset and I was like I don't care who says what, but the same way that they brought me to this boat, they better pick me up tomorrow morning because I need to go pick up my wife. I just had a kid, I'm done. So it was one of those situations and the wonderful thing about it is the Coast Guard did a great job of recording everything. So I have a VHS that I got to switch into digital, but I got a VH tape that shows everything so that my son can see what dad did 24 hours after he was born, four hours after he was born.
Speaker 2:So you know, thank you, thank you for taking us into, uh, into, into into that moment in your life, which is not just deputy chief Noah Hill, but to the person that's listening. That's the law enforcement life. You know, they take an oath, uh, you know, and there's still a dad, a husband, uh, there's still a son. But sometimes, when the responsibility of the profession calls, they have to go and they do it, and they do it successfully. You know they don't do it half-hearted, you know. So thank you for sharing that. I got one other text here, deputy Chief, that I got to share with you. It says Deputy Chief Hill, dc Hill is a great person to work with. And then they emphasize I said person, because he is a person first, then a chief.
Speaker 3:Thank you, I am honored.
Speaker 2:That is a good compliment, sir.
Speaker 3:And thank you guys for humbling me with this great honor of being alongside you two fine gentlemen, it's an honor to have you.
Speaker 2:It has been great.
Speaker 3:It has been an honor.
Speaker 2:It's an honor to have you. I think we have time, a little bit more time, maybe one more minute, and I'm not understanding.
Speaker 5:We have a minute 45, just pointing out the clock here just to kind of wrap things up.
Speaker 2:I just wanted to, before we go, deputy Chief, to give you an opportunity. If there's anything that it's in your heart that stands out, that you would want to say to anyone that's listening, that it's in your heart that stands out, that you would want to say to anyone that's listening, um, anything that you would say to someone that's maybe in high school and they're listening and they're thinking man, I would like to go in law enforcement. Uh, maybe a key factor that has helped you have the uh accomplishment, the success I don't want to just use that word, but the accomplishment, the ability to uh achieve. You know that sense of achievement that it just overflows from you that would help them. Someone that's been in it 30 plus years, you know, got some mileage to someone that's starting out. Anything that you would say, sir.
Speaker 3:So I would say you know, reach for the stars, because it is a great career that has some great opportunities. Don't let the bad get to you, just learn how to overcome it. Have faith, and what I've realized in my career is that God has always done what he's wanted me to do. So and having that faith has allowed me to have this great career.
Speaker 2:Can't end transition a better way than with God. Hey, this has been. Ask a Cop First Tuesday of the month. Catch you next time. Deputy Chief. Thank you for being with us being our guest. I hope you'll come back. Yes, absolutely Thank you. Thank you for being with us being our guest. I hope you'll come back. Yes, Good, Absolutely, Thank you.
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