RIO RANCHO, N.M. – When you sign on in law enforcement, you sign up for a lifelong brotherhood. But a couple of pairs in a local department were part of their own brotherhood long before they put on the badge.

“The shock on their faces is the best part when they realize that there’s two of us,” said Giuliano Parra. “It’s funny. Just everybody’s so confused, and it’s funny telling people that there’s two of us.” 

The Parra brothers are turning heads in the Rio Rancho Police Department. Giovanni and Giuliano are two months into their dream job. The 21 year olds have had public service on their minds since they were little boys.

“I always wanted to be a firefighter. And then it was probably my freshman year of high school, I don’t know, I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what switched it but decided to go the law enforcement path,” said Giovanni. 

“I remember seeing police cars drive down the street and I would look out the window in the backseat of my car seat and like, ‘That’s cool. I want to do that.’ So ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to do it,” said Giuliano.

Some of those he spotted could’ve been Rio Rancho police cruisers. The Parras’ are local, raised in Rio Rancho.

“The schooling was good. People were good. So it was a good community to grow up in,” said Giuliano.

Now they’ll serve that same community. They went through three years of education and four months in the academy over the summer. They were sworn-in in late November. 

“Instead of just hearing, ‘This is what you’re going to be doing, this is how it’s going to be.’ No, you’re actually doing it now,” said Giovanni and Giuliano. “It’s kind of like a, like a shock in a good way. Kind of exciting, kind of nerve wracking too because obviously, this is the very beginning. And there’s still a lot to learn, a lot to do.”

And a lot of twin jokes to endure, sometimes from each other. 

“I’ll say like, ‘Hey, well, like I’m older than you. I’m more experienced in life than you,'” said Giovanni.

Even if it’s just by one minute. And they’re in good family company with another set of twins in the department, a pair of brothers, and a couple of father and son duos.

“Everybody’s just, like, kind of a big family. And everyone’s just welcoming because of it,” said Giuliano.

The brothers say they’re not letting anything hold them back at this point, not even a negative stigma surrounding police. 

“It never held us back. Kind of made us want to do it more, just because then you knew no one else is going to apply and try to do it,” said Giovanni.

“I always knew I wanted to do it. So I’m going to do it. That was my mindset. I’m gonna do it,” said Giuliano.