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Dallas PD Chief Eddie Garcia ‘Goes Incognito' to Work With Formerly Jailed Teens

For the first time since the brick-and-mortar restaurant opened in 2015, Dallas police officers worked with the interns

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Dallas police officers, including Chief Eddie Garcia, worked with Cafe Momentum interns for the first time since the restaurant’s opening in 2015.

When a dozen volunteers came in to work at Café Momentum, a downtown restaurant and nonprofit, Chad Houser pointed to a man in a blue T-shirt and black ballcap that said “Create Change.”

The man’s arms were covered in tattoos that paid tribute to his home of Puerto Rico, the Bible, law enforcement and family. He was a few minutes late on Friday but ready to work. A Cowboys-themed mask concealed most of his face.

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What the teens didn’t know on Friday evening was that the dozen volunteers they worked with for nearly four hours were cops. They helped the teens prepare meals and bussed tables.

Payton Ceasar, 17, shows "dish-washing guy" how to use the sink before he starts his shift as a volunteer dishwasher at Café Momentum, which employs teens coming out of juvenile detention in Dallas County.
Juan Figueroa | The Dallas Morning News
Payton Ceasar, 17, shows "dish-washing guy" how to use the sink before he starts his shift as a volunteer dishwasher at Café Momentum, which employs teens coming out of juvenile detention in Dallas County.

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