Igor Dias at his graduation from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, alongside Toledo Police Chief Dan Quigley, Lt. Nathan Wunn, and SRO Vern Jefferson. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

The city of Toledo’s thin blue line got a little bit stronger recently as fresh-faced youngster Igor Dias hit the streets, ready to protect and serve. In late April, at just 20 years old, Dias graduated from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, and to think, he first thought he was going to get an office job.

Unlike some Toledo Police chiefs who will remain nameless, Igor wasn’t born and raised here. Instead, Dias was born in Danbury, Conn., but he didn’t stick around long, as when he was still just a small boy, his family moved to Brazil. After living in Brazil for a couple of years, Igor came back stateside at the age of 15 and moved to Florida. For the next five years, he lived in Palm Beach as he went to high school and began college in Boca Raton.

So, all this worldly experience, and living among the warm beautiful landscapes of the south, raises the question, why did Igor come to Iowa? Well, in his own words, “The cost of living was one of the main reasons.”

Dias went on to explain his decision to move to Iowa, saying.

“I was living by myself in Florida, while also working 40-plus hours a week, and attending college as a full-time student. I could pay my bills with the scholarship money I had, but at the end of the month, I wouldn’t have much left. Boca Raton is a great place to live and very beautiful. I was about five minutes from the beach, but it is indeed very expensive,” he said. “I wanted to be able to buy a house and a car, and live comfortably, but where I was unfortunately, I would not have been able to. I also have family members here in Iowa, with whom I initially came to stay with and have a place to stay.”

Dias says he’s been having a great time living in Iowa so far, including the harsh winter climate. “I really like the cold weather. The heat and humidity in Florida are very annoying when you live in it 24/7. Feeling sticky and having bugs flying around you every time you step outside is not great,” he mentioned in a statement that has become ironic with Iowa’s recent blistering summer heat.

Not only is Iowa a change for Officer Dias, but the thought of being a Police Officer in the first place is a change, as originally, Igor thought he should get an office job. Imagining himself pushing papers, working on projects, and sitting behind a computer all day, he thought he knew what he was going to do.

But then, something hit Dias, and he said, “I realized I was not built for it. I realized that I actually enjoy being outdoors, talking with people, helping people out when they have problems, and being out there to be seen. I also have multiple family members who are police officers, and they always had the best stories, which made me become more interested in being a police officer.”

After this epiphany, Dias set on the path to become the Officer he now is, and he made the right call, as he loves the job. When talking about the things he enjoys about his work, Dias said, “The idea of doing something different every day, being able to help people in multiple different ways, talking with people every day, and being out there to serve is what I like the most about being a police officer.”

Officer Dias has been a great asset to the Toledo Police Department, his most well-used skill, is his linguistic abilities. Igor is trilingual, speaking English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Dias explained his abilities.

“Portuguese was my first language, since my parents spoke mainly Portuguese at home. English is my second language, since I’ve been learning/speaking since a little kid. Spanish is my third language. I’m not fully fluent in Spanish, but I do understand and speak well,” he said. “Mainly the reason why is because Portuguese and Spanish are very similar, but for some reason, people who speak Portuguese can understand Spanish very well. On the other hand, people that speak Spanish, most of the time, do not understand Portuguese at all.”

His gift for languages has kept Dias busy as an officer, working on multiple matters, and helping other departments.

“Understanding Spanish has helped me in multiple cases so far. I’ve done interviews, Domestic Assault cases, Traffic Stops and so many more in Spanish. I also interpret for Tama Police when necessary,” he explained.

Igor’s new boss, Toledo Police Chief Dan Quigley had this to say about the new recruit.

“Even though Officer Dias is a young officer, his life experience will bring some fresh new perspective to our community and agency. His being fluent in three languages has already proven to be a valuable resource for us,” he said. “He is eager to learn about the law enforcement profession and our community. Officer Dias’ positive attitude is of great value to the Toledo Police Department. I am excited to see his contributions to our agency.”

When he’s not patrolling the streets or translating Spanish to Portuguese to English, Igor likes to swim, play video games, and hang out with his friends. That is also when he is not working to get his college degree. With just two classes to go, Igor will soon get his associate’s degree in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

So, if you’re in Toledo, and you see a new officer walking about, a smile on his face, getting to know the place, that’s Igor Dias, go say hello. He may be new to town, but he’s here to help, and more importantly, he’s happy to be here.