A View From the Other Side

Send us Fan Mail BCS7E10 A view from the other side. This season on Blue Canary, we’ve spent a lot of time talking about police reform. And I’ve been asking every guest essentially the same question: If you could wave a magic wand—if you could be king for a day—and make one meaningful change to policing in America, what would it be? I’ve heard some great answers. But most of those answers have come from people who have worn a badge, worked inside the criminal justice system, or spent their careers working alongside law enforcement. For this episode, I wanted a different perspective. I wanted to hear from somebody who has seen the system from the other side. And that brings me to Rico Lopez. Some of you may already know Rico as a fellow DJ over on The Thin Line Rock Station. Along with his wife and co-host Briana, he hosts Rico’s Rock Headlock every Tuesday and Thursday morning. But there's a lot more to Rico's story than rock and roll. Rico is an ex-con. He spent fourteen years in prison. He got out, turned his life around, became a truck driver, built a new life—and then something happened that connected him to law enforcement in a way he never expected. His cousin, Deputy William H. “Bill” Butler Jr., was killed in the line of duty. Rico decided he couldn't stay silent. He started the 8158 Podcast, where he talks with first responders and their families and gives them a place to tell their stories—the good, the bad, the sacrifice, the trauma, and the resilience. And he didn't stop there. Rico helped create the William H. “Bill” Butler Jr. Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring fallen first responders, helping surviving families, providing scholarships, supporting grief and wellness programs, and making sure the families left behind know they haven't been forgotten. And that's why I wanted Rico on Blue Canary. Because police reform shouldn't just be cops talking to cops about cops. If we're serious about making policing better, then we need to listen to people who have experienced the criminal justice system from every direction. Rico has been incarcerated by that system. Today, he's one of the people working to support the men and women who serve within it—and the families who sometimes pay the highest price for that service. That's a perspective I think is worth hearing.