Police exchange men and ideas with Mexico department

By Jeanne Hovanec
staff writer

CARPENTERSVILLE — Stop signs in Mexico look a lot like they do around here. But unlike in America, where stopping is mandatory, Mexicans look at the sign as an option to stop, explains police Officer Manny Figueroa.

It's a small cultural difference but one Figueroa and other members of his delegation took home with them in the five days they spent in Zacatecas, Mexico.

Figueroa, along with coordinator Jose Rivera, McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren, McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi, U.S. District Judge Manuel Barbosa and Woodstock Mayor Brian Sager, took part in the delegation to discuss areas of mutual concern with various representatives in the Zacatecas government.

"Twenty percent of our population in Woodstock is Hispanic," Sager said. "It is essential that we have a better understanding of the cultural perspective of our population and recognize this opportunity.
"

It is an opportunity that Rivera has been presenting for the past four years. He first got the idea when he was on one of his many trips to Durango, Mexico, with wife Maggie.



Complaints spurred idea


Because he owns Golfview Mall, which includes a Mexican grocery store, Rivera would hear complaints from the Hispanic population of general misunderstandings and harassment from the Carpentersville Police Department.
Rivera thought it would be a good idea for police officers from America to go to Mexico to work in their police departments for a month to acclimate themselves to the nuances of the Mexican culture.

After creating a plan and presenting it to Nygren, Rivera contacted representatives of the Zacatecas government and found them to be just as interested in an exchange.

"I know there is a distinct degree of commitment on both sides," Sager said. "And a distinct cognition of the potential benefits."

It was assessing those benefits that brought Figueroa to Zacatecas. After discussing it with the Carpentersville Village Board, he was sent to determine the pros and cons of the program and report back his experiences.

Because Carpentersville has a Hispanic population of about 40 percent, Police Chief David Neumann believes Figueroa's experience is one he would support for more members of his staff.

"The purpose of his visit was different than the McHenry County officers," Neumann said. "He was part of a delegation that met with government officials to re-establish the program and understand the parameters so he could help us coordinate the program in the future."



No cost to taxpayers


McHenry County officers who have participated in the exchange stay in Zacatecas for a month and work 12-hour days in investigation units with native detectives. They go through everything Mexican police officers do, which includes wearing no guns. The officers still receive their salary from the county, with the additional costs of the program being picked up by county sponsors and the Zacatecas government.
"That's the beauty of this whole thing," Rivera said. "The Mexican government is doing a lot to keep this going. As soon as they land, the officers are taken care of. There is no tax money involved."

Neumann hopes to send a couple more Carpentersville officers to Zacatecas in late fall and then evaluate the benefits more in depth at that time. Although the program did not receive full support from all village board members, Trustee Paul Humpfer looks at the program as any other continual training program.

"It is almost a sensitivity training for our officers," Humpfer said. "I think in the past they have gotten a bad rap for not being sensitive enough, but they have to be open-minded to do this, and I hope they bring that back."

07/13/06

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