Guest column by Edwin Diaz: Next police chief should provide Latino outreach

Nonprofit says new top cop needs to be accessible to all segments of the community

Published in the April 19 – May 2, 2017 issue of Gilroy Life

Edwin Diaz

The city of Gilroy will soon complete the process to select the next chief of police. Part of the selection process included a series of community meetings designed to gather feedback from the community about the characteristics, skills and attributes desired in the next chief of police.

Representatives from the Latino Family Fund, including myself, attended one of the community meetings to offer our perspectives. Following the meeting I also reached out to other individuals and organizations that provide services to the Latino community to get their input. While I don’t claim to be the only Latino voice on this subject, as a Latino resident, born and raised in Gilroy and having collaborated with law enforcement leadership over the years, I do believe I have an informed opinion.

There is broad agreement that our next police chief not only needs to have a record of success as a law enforcement professional, but also needs to be accessible to all segments of the community (including Latino voices), and be willing to establish partnerships to successfully implement policing strategies. An individual who is willing to balance enforcement strategies with a focus on prevention and intervention.

Expectations will be high for the next police chief. Gilroy residents are a diverse population who demand a lot from their leaders. The request for police services from different segments of the community will be great so the next police chief will need to quickly assess the different public safety needs of Gilroy residents, allocate resources in a thoughtful and informed way and be transparent in those decisions.

According to the candidate profile developed by the city, the next police chief needs to model an active, innovative management style and create a culture of engagement. To truly engage and understand the issues in the Latino community, the next police chief should have experience working in diverse communities with significant Latino populations.

The chief should also be willing to reach out and establish relationships with Latino residents and partner with community organizations that support the Latino community. Being visible at community events in predominantly Latino neighborhoods will also support a positive relationship with the Latino community. Understanding Latino culture and being bilingual are also desired attributes for our next police chief.

The next police chief having experience in a community-policing model was mentioned in both the community meeting and by others I talked with. Community policing strategies support the use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the conditions that give rise to public safety issues. This framework for policing relies on collaboration and partnerships between law enforcement and the organizations and individuals they serve. Other communities have experienced success in reducing crime and increasing trust between residents and law enforcement through the use of community policing strategies. This is especially true in low income, high minority neighborhoods. The Latino community wants the next police chief to able to implement more community policing strategies in Gilroy.

There is strong support for the next police chief to maintain and improve partnerships that already exist. Individuals cited the partnership with the public schools on numerous occasions as an example of effective partnership. The Latino community would also benefit from the new police chief implementing strategies where Latino youth can interact with police officers through more prevention, mentoring and recreational opportunities. Establishing more non-enforcement interactions with police will go a long way to reducing any mistrust between law enforcement and the Latino community.

And finally, an immediate and important issue for the Latino community is addressing issues surrounding undocumented residents. Because of anti-immigrant rhetoric and the uncertainty of immigration policies, undocumented residents are living in fear of families being torn apart by deportation, are victims of crime and are fearful of interaction with any law enforcement or government officials. The next chief should have the skills and interest to implement policies and strategies to address these concerns. He or she needs to ensure that a culture of respect and professionalism extends to all segments of our community.

All residents of Gilroy want the next chief of police to be successful in reaching public safety goals and protect the quality of life for our residents. For the Latino community: enforcement, partnership, greater outreach at the grass-root level and innovative community policing strategies is the path to reaching those goals.

Edwin Diaz is the co-chair, with his wife, Delia, of the nonprofit Latino Family Fund. He is the former superintendent of schools of Pasadena and Gilroy unified school districts.