The Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association
(HAPCOA) was invited to provide testimony to the President's Task Force on 21st
Century Policing (Task Force). This time
HAPCOA provided testimony in support of the fourth public listening session on
the topic of Community Policing and Crime Prevention.
The Task Force, established by an executive order signed by
President Barack Obama on December 18, 2014, is charged with identifying ways
to strengthen public trust and foster strong relationships between local law
enforcement and the communities that they protect while also promoting
effective crime reduction. HAPCOA will
also address these timely issues at its 42nd Annual National Law Enforcement
Training Symposium in San Antonio, TX in November 2015.
The Community Policing and Crime Prevention listening
session was held in Phoenix, AZ on Friday, February 13, 2015 at the Phoenix
Convention Center.
Here is the testimony submitted for publication by HAPCOA
National President Don Tijernia:
February 13, 2015
TESTIMONY PROVIDED BY THE HISPANIC AMERICAN POLICE COMMAND
OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
The Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association
(HAPCOA) in support of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing
provides the following testimony at its fourth public listening session on the
topic of Community Policing and Crime Reduction.
Unfortunately, we were unable
to appear in person to deliver this testimony before the Task Force session
held in Phoenix, AZ on Friday, February 13, 2015.
HAPCOA is a non-profit membership organization established
in 1973, and is today the oldest and largest association in the U.S. of
Hispanic American command officers from law enforcement and criminal justice
agencies at the municipal, county, state and federal levels. Our membership represents law enforcement
agencies from across the United States and Puerto Rico, many of whom are active
in local chapters. HAPCOA is a national organization with a local presence.
The mission of HAPCOA is to “empower the future of law
enforcement” by assisting law enforcement, criminal justice and community
organizations nationwide in their efforts to recruit, train and promote
qualified Hispanic American men and women committed to a career in the criminal
justice arena and to communities in which they serve and protect. Additionally,
HAPCOA serves to assist in the promotion and development of Hispanics in law
enforcement and to serve as an advocate for Hispanic law enforcement issues.
The changing demographics of the 21st Century
within the United States brings to the forefront the need for the Task Force to
focus on building community trust, constitutional policing, the reengineering
of community policing, the building of effective crime reduction and deployment
strategies, improved organizational structure, the building of partnerships,
tactics and in respect to further research on best practices as pertains to the
emerging Hispanic community – nationwide.
Recommendations:
PUBLIC TRUST POLICING/REENGINEERING COMMUNITY POLICING AND
PARTNERSHIPS
HAPCOA and DOJ, National Institute of Justice (NIJ) joined
forces in 2002, to produce a video designed to foster closer relationships,
trust and a spirit of sharing in the common goals of crime prevention and community
safety between the Police and the Community.
This video and accompanying document was entitled: Community Oriented Policing for the Hispanic
Community (“Policia Orientado a la Comunidad”)
(https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/194910.pdf)
HAPCOA recommends that we reorganize as a team (Task Force)
and now produce an updated film that we can share with all law enforcement
agencies and the communities that they serve.
This new product will be produced in partnership with HAPCOA, members of
the community, area law enforcement and funded by either COPS and/or NIJ.
HAPCOA is prepared to provide a copy of the video and
accompanying brochure (in both English and Spanish) to all who attend its 2015
National Law Enforcement Training Symposium (November 2015).
The production of this product represents a reengineering of
community policing, and an inclusion of community partnerships, as it also
redefines the community as one that now includes an emerging Hispanic
population (where before one might not have existed in the past), a community
that is bilingual/bicultural, and younger.
In doing so, we demonstrate law enforcements desire to build, regain,
establish, and maintain the public trust.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
HAPCOA recommends that 21st Century Policing must
embrace and include Hispanic Officers in command
roles if indeed they intend on accomplishing a structure that understands and
represents the community that it serves.
Recruitment of a qualified diverse law enforcement agency is
now a given. Departments in communities
with historically large Hispanic communities continue to actively recruit, train
and include into their roll calls an increasing number of Hispanic Officers. The next step is to further train, mentor and
promote qualified Hispanics into command level positions in all agencies,
municipal, county, state and Federal Agencies.
The successful 21st Century Policing
organizational structure will be able to proudly demonstrate a command
structure that also reflects the community it serves.
BEST PRACTICES/TACTICAL OPERATIONS
HAPCOA recommends that best practices must also include the
requirement of Spanish speaking officers and their value as officers that
maintain the public trust, improve police reporting, and improve crime
prevention and community safety.
HAPCOA also recommends the need to evaluate tactical
operations that would include Spanish language training and cultural
sensitivity classes that would enhance operational success and ensure the
safety of tactical officers.
CONCLUSION
HAPCOA has for over 40 years prepared its members to take
the lead and represent the future of law enforcement in the communities that we
serve. The community that we serve in
the 21st Century will now include the entire United States.
Enhancing law enforcements abilities to engage the emerging
Hispanic community, as partners in crime prevention and community safety will
build public trust. Building public
trust also helps ensure officers safety.
Thank you,
Don Tijerina
Don Tijerina
President
Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association
PO Box 29626
Washington, DC 20017
