Episode 65 Dallas Police Department SWAT Sergeant Andre Taylor #7752
 “Trust God, Clean House, Serve Others”
 The Assist the Officer Foundation sits down with an incredibly accomplished and unique individual today in Sgt. Andre Taylor of Dallas SWAT.
As Dre grew up in the South side of Chicago, he regularly witnessed acts of violence but also witnessed an incredible community and family as his mother was ever present in his upbringing ensuring he didn’t fall prey to the many negative lifestyles of the streets that could lead to him in jail or dead.
Life laid itself out for Andre as he found himself moving to Dallas Texas to join the Police force in 1999 and began serving the City of Dallas. He joined the Dallas SWAT team in 2003 and trained under some of the toughest SWAT trainers who exposed him to a new level of police work . Andre experienced several critical incidents during his time in SWAT and one that sticks out more than others is an incident that’s familiar to this show. The hostage rescue on Martel still haunts everyone that was a part of that operation.
After leaving SWAT he joined the Dallas Mounted Unit and learned the tools to have a partner, Tommy, that weighed over 1500 lbs. and quickly understood the power and beauty of horses and saw the importance of community policing.
Andre Taylor returned to Dallas SWAT years later and found himself in a new role as the leader and not the operator, so he had to learn to develop tools for his new role as being a boss to high performing and highly trained operators.
Dre has always been in control of his life and his own destiny however in January of 2023 he looked into the mirror and did not like what he saw and realized he could not control an aspect of his life. As he contemplated his new direction, he typed out on email that would change his life, both personally and professionally, forever as he knew once he hit the send button everything would change.
Once he hit send and the first step in climbing a new mountain was taken and now Dre found himself in a completely new world as he had to ask for help to regain control of his life.
The listener will have to finish this story and hear Andre’s new challenge in life and career as he found a new purpose and “why”.  We are hoping Dre finds that needed time now to work on his old cars and roller skate.
ATO Family you are never alone in this life…….Please always reach out.
 
Critical incident:
Infant hostage on 5800 Martel, Dallas, Texas on 6/20/2007
Acronyms/Phrases:
APC- Armored personnel carrier
#SWAT
#Chicago
12 Step AA Programs: 12 Steps to Recovery for Addiction (americanaddictioncenters.org)