Gastonia Police host outreach event for Hispanic population

The third largest racial demographic in Gastonia consists of folks of Hispanic or Latino origin. Combined they make up a bloc of thousands of people spanning multiple generations and despite their prevalence, they have not always had the best relationship with members of law enforcement.

That is something that the Gastonia Police Department is looking to address and change. And the first steps were lively ones. On Saturday members of the Gastonia Police Department hosted a get-together with members of the city's Latinx community.

The event, held at Rotary Pavilion, allowed community members to meet with Spanish-speaking members of the police departments in Gastonia and Charlotte. During the event, residents also spoke with department administrators about their experiences with police and concerns they may have in their community.

"We are trying to bridge that gap with the community," said Officer Lazaro Creagh.

One of the first steps in finding ways to work with the Hispanic community, Creagh added, is dispelling myths or beliefs many families have of the police.

"Traditionally, in their home countries and other countries law enforcement are the oppressors. When they come to the United States they don't understand the laws are different," he said. "There are some countries that when you are pulled over by a patrol vehicle, the first thing you do is get out of the vehicle. That is not how that works here, so there's a learning curve. And there is a learning curve for our officers as well."

Community members talked primarily with officers like Creagh and Capt. Nancy Brodgon, the highest-ranking woman of Hispanic descent in the department. That effort to put officers front and center was intentional, according to Assistant Police Chief Edward Turas.

"Traditionally if you show up to a function you are seeing officials. Those officials most of the time don't see people; our officers who work the streets see people," said Turas. "So we have involved officers from our newest rookie to our office staff to actually help represent the department."

Finding ways to interact with the city's Hispanic community has become a priority in recent years for Gastonia Police. In addition to hiring more bilingual officers, the city has also made an effort to staff emergency communications with people who can speak Spanish.

"The great thing about the Latinx community is it is a vibrant, rich, active community. They are very well represented by our businesses and our involvement in our churches and so the thing for us is we are always looking for better representation in our department and in our community," said Turas.

Saturday's event is just one of the ways the department is reaching out to the community, Turas added. The department has branched out into advertising through radio, television and social media channels to connect with the Hispanic community.

Dustin George can be reached at 704-669-3337 or Dustin.George@ShelbyStar.com. Find him on Twitter @DustinLGeorge.