MEDIA COVERAGE

- Chicago Sun Times -

        Hire More Hispanic Cops - 12 February 2003

- Daily Herald -

- LA RAZA -

Cícero, Illinois (NED).- The Hispanic Illinois State Law Enforcement Association, in adhesion to the Fraternal Order of Police of Cicero (FOP), announced their total support for Larry Dominick, candidate to the presidency of Cicero. This was informed in a press conference yesterday Thursday February 3rd, 2005.

    The announcement was made by Luis Gutierrez, President of HISLEA who mentioned that they were proudly endorsing Larry Dominic. They felt that he could put the community in order. Members of HISLEA considered Gonzalez not deserving of their support due to his political lies and other desperate attacks in order to maintain his power.

    It is also to be mentioned that the Fraternal Order of Police of Cicero stated their support and made known their vote count amongst their members. Dominick obtained 84 votes and Gonzalez only received 4.

    Luis Gutierrez president of HISLEA in an exclusive to the EL DIA NEWSPAPER reporter, as to way a Hispanic association would be supporting Dominick and not Gonzalez who is Hispanic. Gutierrez stated that during the Gonzalez administration the number of crimes has doubled, and a considerable increase in gangs. Therefore Dominick will receive the support of the local police (FOP) and HISLEA because he will work hard to provide a safe community for its residents irregardless of ethnic origin.

    With unity and support of these important organizations focusing on Dominick’s plans of reducing delinquency, the community would become a safer place. This would come about once Dominick reached the elections victoriously. There is a true commitment of working for the benefit of the residents. Both police and town government will put forth programs against gangs and delinquency.

    For Gonzalez these two important organizations (FOP and HISLEA) have turned their back on him. This is due to his poor performance for the betterment of the community. What could we expect if no one likes him and it has been shown through their actions?

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Más presión Blagojevich

by Gerardo Cárdenas

(Currently Published as "Hoy" a Chicago Tribune Subsidiary)

    Dirigentes políticos Latinos han incrementado la presión al gobernador de Illinois Rod Blagojevich para que considere a hispanos para alguna de las 12 agencias estatales que están aun sin titular, pese al revés sufrido a mediados del mes cuando Ernesto Velasco, ex director de la prisión del Condado de Cook, retiro su candidatura para dirigir el Departamento de Correccionales.

    Blagojevich esta siendo cabildeado para que nombre a un hispano al frente de la Policía Estatal, la agencia encargada de la seguridad del territorio de Illinois, en especial de la vías de comunicación.  Dotada con un presupuesto de 383 millones de dólares para el presente ano fiscal, la Policía Estatal cuenta con unos 1,700 agentes, repartidos en los 21 distritos del estado, y un total de casi 3,900 empleados, de los que apenas el cuatro por ciento son hispanos.

    Uno de los grupos que mayor presión esta ejerciendo es la Asociación de Agentes de la Ley Hispanos de Illinois (HISLEA, por sus siglas en ingles), que ha trabajado con el congresista Luis Gutiérrez (D-4) para entregarle a Blagojevich una lista de candidatos viables.

    "Estamos muy cerca de conseguirlo.  Levamos mas o menos un ano entrevistando candidatos potenciales.  Es importante que un latino quede al frente de la Policía Estatal, porque la agencia tiñe un pasado racista", comento a ¡Exito! Peter Garza, director ejecutivo de HISLEA, una organización con mas de 300 miembros, todos ellos agentes en dependencias municipales, condales, estatales y federales.

    Fuentes políticas indicaron que Blagojevich tiene sobre su escritorio dos nombres de candidatos para la Policía Estatal: un latino y un afroamericano, pero lamentaron que el gobernador este siendo demasiado tentativo para tomar una decisión.

Ni si, ni no

    Tom Shafer, portavoz del gobernador, no quiso confirmar ni desmentir que ese sea el caso.  "No estamos en posición de discutir quien esta o no esta en la lista.  Estamos cerca de anunciar nombramientos para varias de las 12 agencias aun acéfalas.  Las cosas van a buen ritmo", dijo.

    Garza considero que Blagojevich tiene que cumplir su promensa de campana de nombrar un equipo de trabajo que refleje la diversidad de la población de Illinois, donde 13 por ciento de los habitantes son latinos.  "Confiamos en sus palabras y creemos que la mejor manera de cumplir esa promesa es nombrando a un latino para una agencia que trata de forma tan directa con la gente del estado", indico.

    Pero el mal sabor de boca dejado por la renuncia de Velasco, y lacaída de Salvador Díaz como interino del área de servicios a la Infancia y la Familia (DCFS, por sus siglas en ingles), sigue en el paladar de varios lideres. "No estoy contento con la manera como esto se ha manejado, tomando en cuenta que la comunidad estaba entusiasmada por un nombramiento [el de Velasco] que ahora nos han arrancado", dijo el líder adjunto de la mayoría del Senado estatal, Miguel del Valle (D-2).

    "No le hace bien al gobernador" la salida de Velasco y Díaz, coincidió Garza.  Además de esos nombramientos, Blagojevich ha colocado a la financiera Leticia Peralta-Davis al frente de McPier, la entidad encargada de manejar las concesiones de McCormick Place y el Navy Pier, ambos en Chicago, y ha entregado de forma temporal al ex representante estatal demócrata Edgar Lopez el manejo del Departamento de Instituciones Financieras.

    Garza considero también preocupante que la Policía Estatal este sin director "en un momento en que nos encontramos en el umbral de una guerra". Shafer dijo que el umbral de una guerra". Shafer dijo que el gobernador esta consciente de la importancia que ese nombramiento tendría cuando en todo el país se ha decretado el estado de alerta naranja, la segunda mas alta. "Pero tenemos un director interino [Douglas Brown, tras la renuncia el 11 pasado de Sam Nolen], y tenemos una estructura de seguridad con la que estamos cómodos".

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HISLEA: Working To Help Represent Hispanics In Law Enforcement

by Daniel Nardini

    Cicero, IL - With Hispanics now representing the single largest ethnic minority in the United States, their numbers reflects how communities in the Chicago area and parts of Illinois have changed.  This change impacts on everything from social services to the role of government to law enforcement.  Law enforcement is especially critical since law enforcement agencies in Illinois and in the Chicago area, which has the largest concentration of Hispanics, need to reflect the Hispanic communities they serve.  However, one serious problem has been that many suburban and other towns have not increased the number of Hispanics who qualify for positions in law enforcement to reflect their Hispanic constituency.  To learn more about this problem, I spoke with Peter Garza, president of HISLEA (Hispanic Illinois State Law Enforcement Association).

    According to Mr. Garza, police departments and law enforcement agencies in the Chicago area and in Illinois where there are large numbers of Hispanics have not hired or promoted Hispanic police officers even though they are fully qualified for their positions.  Likewise, Hispanics who are fully qualified for positions in law enforcement agencies are more often than not overlooked.  This is where HISLEA comes in.  It works to ensure a fair, level playing field so that those Hispanics who are qualified are able to fill positions and receive promotions in police and law enforcement agencies.  Mr. Garza pointed out that there are towns where the Hispanic population is 50 percent or more of the overall population.  Yet the police force of a number of towns has virtually no Hispanic police.

    Mr. Garza said that this is not just an issue of proportional representation but also one of safety.  In dealing with serious situations, it is important for police and other law enforcement agencies to know the language and cultural heritage of their constituencies.  In many Hispanic communities in Chicago, for example, there are Hispanic police officers who know the communities they live in, know the language and cultural background of the residents in the community, and have the experience to help diffuse a possibly explosive situation.  Police who do not know the language or cultural background of those they deal with could be put in a very dangerous situation when misunderstandings and cultural differences play a part.  It could lead for example to police officers being able to stop a domestic fight or become dangerously involved in an escalating confrontation.

    Even with all this in consideration. there have been town and state agencies that have dragged their feet in hiring and promoting qualified Hispanics.  HISLEA has been working through legal channels to try and level the playing field so that more Hispanics can be hired and promoted to reflect the Hispanic constituencies they will help.  Mr. Garza said that HISLEA will work with local, state, and federal officials to help Hispanics in law enforcement.

    HISLEA is a nonpartisan, non-profit, all volunteer law enforcement association that works to help Hispanics who are in law enforcement or who wish to be in law enforcement.  HISLEA has an annual banquet, a scholarship program, and more.  For more information on HISLEA, call 708-447-7699, or go to the website www.hislea.org. You can also write to: HISLEA, P.O. Box 470086, Chicago, IL 60647, or e-mail to info@hislea.org.

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Hire More Hispanic Copsops

by Peter Garza President HISLEA  

    The Hispanic population is now the largest minority in the United States, yet the number of Hispanics is less than 2 percent within state government law enforcement agencies.

    The State Police has no Hispanics serving in the upper executive level, the Conservation Police employs two Hispanic police officers (the only two in its entire history), and the Secretary of State Police employs only three Hispanic officers.

    The Hispanic Community welcomes the trusted words spoken by Gov. Blagojevich during his inauguration speech, where he promised to create a government that will truly reflect all of the people in Illinois.

    We urge the governor to begin that promise within the agencies that enforce our laws and have day-to-day contact with the public: law enforcement.

               Peter Garza,

               President,

               Hispanic Illinois State Law Enforcement Association

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Association Calls For More Hispanics In The Work Force

by Adriana Colindres State Capital Bureau

The Group plans to start issuing "report cards" that would grade the government on its hiring of Hispanics and how well it delivers services to Hispanics, said Anthony Sisneros, a member of the association's board of directors.

The report card would apply to state agencies and to constitutional officers such as the governor's office.

"If we had to issue a report card today, that grade would be anywhere from C to unsatisfactory," Sisneros said Wednesday at a Statehouse news conference.

He cited figures showing that Hispanics make up about 3 percent of the state's 66,600 employees in the so called "coded agencies," those under the governor that are covered by the state personal code.  By comparison, the latest U.S. Census figures show Hispanics make up about 12 percent of the statewide population.

That gap needs to close, Sisneros said.

The group said it is inviting all state constitutional officers to help develop the criteria to be used in the new report cards.

Several Hispanic lawmakers, including Democratic Sen. Miguel del Valle of Chicago, also spoke at the news conference.

    "I think the association is being too kind," del Valle said.  "If I'm going to issue a report card, I'm going to give most state agencies F's.  F means failure."

    Wanda Taylor, a spokeswoman for Gov. George Ryan, said the governor agrees on the need for more minorities on the state payroll.

    "We've made improvements, but there's still a lot of work that needs to be done," she said.  "This is something the governor is dedicated to completely."

    In October 1999, Ryan signed Executive Order 15, which directed state agencies to develop a recruitment plan "designed to achieve the goal of attaining a diversified work force in state government."

    But del Valle said the executive order "right now is not worth the paper it is printed on because nothing is resulting from it."

    A couple of state agencies contacted Wednesday said they are taking steps to improve the diversity of the State's workforce.

    For example the Department of Human Services, the largest state agency with about 20,000 employees, has added three full-time staff members to recruit minority workers, said spokesman Tom Green.  One of the three is a Hispanic who is focusing 100 percent of his time on Hispanic recruitment, Green said.

    From July 2000 to December 2000, the number of Hispanics working in state government grew by 65, which is "a significant increase for that period of time" and shows "an aggressive approach" toward a more diverse work force, said Department of Central Management Services spokeswoman Judy Pardormet.  CMS provides personal services for state agencies.

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Positions Wanted

by Peter Garza President HISLEA

Given the flashy headlines reporting the dramatic growth of the Hispanic population (58 percent), one would assume that Hispanics are being hired and promoted within state, county, and local government.

In the criminal justice field, the lack of Hispanics is obvious.  Most law enforcement agencies have a very small number of Hispanics or none at all.  To see a Hispanic in an executive position within any criminal justice agency (police, prosecution, corrections, etc.), is almost as rare as finding a Mexican restaurant in Chinatown.

I am not suggesting the hiring of unqualified Hispanics just to reflect the population.  I ask only to let our experience, education and strong work ethic determine our future.  The new generation of Hispanics will not and should not settle for just trimming lawns and cleaning houses.

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Hispanic Group To Honor Father For His Heroism

by Carlos Sadovi Staff Reporter

The Hispanic Illinois State Law Enforcement Association will give its first civilian valor award to Gonzalez at its 14th annual ceremony this Saturday, said Peter Garza, president of the group.

The 500 member state group includes local, county and state Hispanic law enforcement officials. The ceremony will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Rosemont.

Normally the group only recognizes law enforcement officers who have risked their lives on the job.

"He was sacrificing his life for the life of his daughter. We empathize with that kind of dedication," Garza said. "We thought this is exactly what valor stands for . . . we want to recognize him."

In August, Gonzalez was shot twice as he fought with a man who broke into the family's West Side home and grabbed Gonzalez's daughter.

Gonzalez, who managed to throw the intruder out of a window even after being shot, said he was honored to receive the award.

"It makes you realize you're not alone," he said.

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 “In the police department, there’s a saying that there’s no white, brown or black.  We’re all blue,” said Peter Garza, a 12 year veteran police officer who now works as an investigator for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.  “That’s totally wrong … because when you have the dramatic experience of being stopped because you are Hispanic, you don’t fell the same.  We’ve bit the bullet for a long time now, but, somewhere down the line, something needs to be done.”

Garza said Friday he supports a state House proposal to make police officers identify the race of drivers they pull over.

“A police officer will think twice when you have to check the box,” he said.

He also urged police departments to hire more bilingual officers and offer more sensitivity training.

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"It happens a lot," said Peter Garza, president of the Hispanic Illinois State Law Enforcement Association. "Police departments are going to have to make some kind of a commitment to diversity for this problem to be dealt with."

Garza, a Chicago resident and investigator with the Cook County state's attorney's office, said his organization also wants to see more Hispanic officers in higher-ranking, policy-making positions. He said not enough Hispanics are promoted beyond the rank of sergeant.

The group, which numbers 250 members of federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies among its ranks, believes more outreach to the growing Hispanic community is needed.

Although outreach programs may be the answer, "if you show up with cops with blond hair and blue eyes, forget it," Garza said.

He said his group has had several meetings with Illinois State Police officials during which they aired their frustrations.

Mark McDonald, a spokesman for the state police, said the agency recently asked the association for help in identifying and recruiting Hispanic officers.

Of the 2,080 state police officers, 127, or about 6 percent of the force are Hispanic, McDonald said, with the figure rising to slightly more than 8 percent when civilian and non-sworn employees are factored in.

While that compares favorably to the state's 8 percent Hispanic population, hiring more Hispanic officers is a priority, McDonald said.

Algonquin Police Chief Russell B. Laine, president of the Illinois Chiefs of Police Association, agreed that agencies must strive to reflect their community.

"Police departments need to be representative of all different groups," Laine said. "Everyone is trying to do that through recruitment of highly qualified individuals."

He said Algonquin has two Hispanics on its 34-member force, and would like to see that number increase.

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Peter Garza, presidente de la Asociación Estatal Hispana de Illinois por el Cumplimiento de la Ley (HISLEA, siglas en inglés) dijo que la organización va a presionar a legisladores estatales que se oponen a la ley (que el gobernador George Ryan patrocina), para que sea reinstituida.

Garza criticó la decisión de algunos senadores de oponerse a la ley y señaló que esos legisladores "no saben lo que esta ley (SNA) significa para nosotros (hispanos). Vamos a invitarlos para hablar con ellos o para que nos visiten en nuestras comunidades y vean que nuestra realidad no es como la de ellos".

"Como oficiales de policía y residentes de la comunidad hispana, sabemos muy bien la devastación que las armas de fuego ilegal causan", señaló Garza quien es investigador criminal de la Fiscalía del Condado de Cook.

El presidente de HISLEA señaló que la legislación es apoyada por la mayoría de la comunidad. "Casi todos los hispanos estamos de acuerdo con este tipo de leyes (SNA). Hemos realizado reuniones en vecindarios y mucha gente narra historias de familiares o conocidos muertos por balaceras. Son historias comunes, historias de vecinos muertos en balaceras".

Como se recordará, la Ley de Vecindarios Seguros entró en efecto en agosto de 1995 y fue declarada inconstitucional el pasado 2 de diciembre por la Corte Suprema de Illinois por razones técnicas, y recientemente fue rechazada por el Senado al recibir sólo 31 de los 36 votos necesarios para que fuera reinstituida.

HISLEA es una organización sin fines de lucro con 12 años de existencia, creada para apoyar a oficiales del orden hispanos a avanzar en sus carreras. La membresía del grupo incluye a oficiales hispanos de agencias policiales a nivel federal, estatal, local y del condado. Su dirección en la página electrónica es: <www.hislea.org>

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