As a Hispanic Police
Chief, I am considered a minority. I keep asking myself why it is so
important to keep bring up the fact that I am a minority. I am a Hispanic
Police Chief with 22 years of law enforcement experience and an
education. I retired as the Chief Deputy of
Law Enforcement in El Paso, Texas and have served as the Police Chief of
Marshall, Texas for the past two years. I am the police chief of a 23,500
population city with the majority of African American population, followed by
whites, Hispanics, and followed by a growing Asian population.
I have had a successful two years in Marshall.
We have lowered the crime rate by a combined 23% in the past two years,
introduced new technology, rebuilt the bridge of trust with the community, and
have a new outlook on community policing. We have established new
community outreach programs such as the No Colors No Labels Initiative. The majority of my
officers are white. I do not feel that we have accomplished what we have
because of the color of my skin. I feel that I have accomplished this
because the men and women of my agency were ready for a change of direction and
leadership. The city as a whole was ready for positive change; all it needed was
the right person to come along and set the course.
I feel that we could have accomplished all of this
regardless of the color of my skin, as long as the person had the same vision
in mind. I was recently asked what the secret to my success has been. The
answer is very simple. One, remember that you are a servant of the community you represent. Two, remember the golden rule treat
others as you would want to be treated, third remember that the foundation of a
successful police agency is the community and finally treat your employees
fairly and with respect.
That is the difference between a manager and a
leader. A leader is a person that understands the job
and knows the community they serve and the employees that work for them.
What I am trying to say is that I have accomplished this not because of the
color of my skin or because I am a minority, but by my beliefs. To change
the culture of an agency the change must be genuine right from the top all the
way down the chain. A cultural shift within an organization can only be
completed if the person at the top has gotten the buy-in from the majority of
the staff, and the community. It is vital to remember that actions speak
louder than words. The culture change has nothing to do with the color of the
skin of the leader, but everything to do with the belief system that the leader
is introducing into the culture.
