In the Line of Duty
CPD Officer Lourdes Nieto on fighting crime, human trafficking and the struggles of being a female cop.
If you see Lourdes Nieto on the street, you’d notice she stands at a demure five feet tall, has a soft voice and is constantly smiling. But don’t let her small stature and bubbly personality fool you…she’s as tough as any burly, macho man in the Chicago Police Department.
Joining the CPD over 10 years ago, Officer Nieto overcame plenty of obstacles…starting at home. “My dad didn’t think policing was for women, so it took me a while to build up the courage to do what I wanted,” she recalls. “I eventually left my job in human resources at Children’s Memorial Hospital [now Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago] and joined the Chicago Police Academy. I didn’t tell my dad until after I graduated and was heading out to train on the street. It took him a good year to come to terms with it; now he loves telling people his daughter is a police officer and he has free security at home.”
However, the hurdles kept coming. “Joining the force as a female was always a concern to me,” admits the Pilsen native. “Many male officers have told me, ‘I don’t want to work with a woman.’ But I command respect…especially out on the street. If there’s any hesitation, criminals can feel your insecurity. It doesn’t matter if you’re big or small, a woman or man. You hesitate and they’ll feed off of it.”
Daniella Arce, who graduated from the academy in 2012, recalls meeting Officer Nieto: “She warned us that females on the job might receive some negative attention. I could relate, since I worked at Cook County Jail for over six years prior to joining the CPD. But she showed me that women can do the job just as good as men.”
Officer Nieto worked her way through the department as a beat cop, then doing administrative work at the academy. Most recently, she joined Internal Affairs. “I loved working the streets…that’s my first choice. Now I’m looking at the job from a new perspective. But the one thing that won’t ever change is my passion for fighting human trafficking.”
Officer Nieto devotes much of her personal time (and money) to combat human trafficking. “I first heard about it five years ago at my church, New Life Covenant, on the Northwest Side,” she explains. “A representative of a non-profit in India came to speak to us about the human trafficking of women and children, which struck a chord with me because I have a 14-year-old daughter. As I did more research on my own, I was horrified to learn that this terrible crime happens in Chicago. I’m the police, the eyes and ears of the community, and didn’t know about this. Assuming most Chicagoans don’t know about human trafficking in their own city, I knew I had to do something to educate them.”
Attending countless seminars, Officer Nieto then began volunteering for two local organizations. The first, Traffick Free, is a faith-based organization that seeks to provide the greater Chicago area with tools and sustainable programs to combat human trafficking. “I’ve grown close to Executive Director Laura Ng. She’s the rock star of anti-human trafficking efforts.”
As an avid runner, Officer Nieto often participates in local races to raise money for anti-human trafficking programs. “I’ve been running for four or five years,” she says. “I did so many races with my sister last year to raise money for CAASE, the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation. I get pumped up about fundraising when a race is coming.” She laughs, “People know I’m coming for their money, and I have great friends always willing to donate.”
The Chicago police officer also visits the residents at the Salvation Army who live in Anne’s House, Illinois’ first long-term, trauma-based residential program for young women and girls from across the U.S. who have been impacted by sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. “Every third Saturday, I visit with the girls and plan to teach them how to cook. I shop for ingredients and go with this mindset that we’re going to measure and sauté. But by the time I get there, they’re asking a ton of questions and telling me about their day. I sometimes forget that, in order to live there, you have to have been a victim of human trafficking and identified by law enforcement as such. These girls are 12 to 21 years old, many around my daughter’s age, so it’s reassuring to know the Salvation Army goes the extra mile. It’s not just about picking the girls up off the street and placing them in a safe house.”
Back on the policing front, the CPD never had any formal training on human trafficking until about four years ago. And with all the knowledge she’s gained over the years, Officer Nieto now teaches a one-hour course to every new class of recruits. “It’s a step, but it’s an uphill battle,” she says. “The amount of women and girls [being sold into slavery] is growing. All we have is a one-hour course for new recruits; there’s no on-going training to educate the rest of the department.”
With that in mind, Officer Nieto spends her own money organizing free, bi-monthly seminars. Open to the public, the human trafficking information sessions are held at Lozano Library Auditorium at 1805 South Loomis Street and advertised on TCW’s Events Calendar. “I don’t care if it’s just one person or a whole room full of people,” says Officer Nieto. “As long as I see one new face at least every time…I know somebody’s learning about it and can inform others.”
As a single mother to high school freshman Victoria, one wonders how Officer Nieto handles this juggling act she calls life. “I have a strong support system,” she explains. “My mom is my rock, and my parents are there for whatever I need. While Victoria is at an age where she’s self-sufficient, she still has after school activities. My mother goes above and beyond to help with scheduling. Victoria also has an excellent father who’s there for her 24/7. We’re no longer together, but we’ve found a way to co-parent. When it comes down to it, I make time for it all. I love being a police officer, I have a passion for educating people about human trafficking and my family is important to me. I’ve learned to not let things knock me down. You just get back up and keep going.”