Shop With A Cop Christmas Event: Edo Dove

Shop With a Cop is the first step of many for Edo Dove, who has dedicated her professional future to bridging the gap between law enforcement and those affected by the criminal justice system.

Dove grew up with a mother who battled substance abuse. Her mother was in and out of jail and in and out of various homes. Edo would come home from school and her mother would be missing. Edo learned at a very young age how to check inmate booking records and call hospitals to check on the status of her mother.

Rather than blame the system, Edo wants to work to make it better. The 20-year-old is a political science major at CSUSB. She is one of five scholarship recipients from Assemblymember James C. Ramos.

Edo plans to pursue a career as a Federal Correctional Officer so she can work with people and families whose loved ones are incarcerated.

“Just because you have a difficult past, you need to know that doesn’t define you,” Edo said. “You don’t want to completely forget about it but you cant let it hold you back. It’s not an excuse.”

Edo is a new mother of a 2-month-old named Zayne. She was nominated for the Shop With a Cop shopping spree through the Children's Fund, which has a great working partnership with SEBA.

Deputy Trainee Daniel Vital was assigned to shop with Edo at the Colton event.

Vital, who is in his 11th week as a trainee with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, said it was an honor to spend time with her. Vital still has a few more weeks until he graduates as a deputy sheriff but he was proud to start giving back to the community at this young stage in his career. Although, Vital felt he gained just as much from Edo as she gained from him.

“She’s on a path of pursuing her degree and making a change for her future,” Vital said of Edo. “It is a great honor to help her.”