HPD Moving Forward On Grant Bid
Council Backs Effort For Latino Policing Program
Posted: February 28, 2013
HARRISONBURG — The Harrisonburg Police Department is moving ahead with a plan to create a geographic policing program for the city’s Latino population.
Ande Banks, the city’s director of special projects and grant management, presented a $580,000 grant application request on behalf of HPD to City Council on Tuesday.
The grant, if awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, would establish the Latino Neighborhood Education and Prevention Initiative, a program meant to build rapport between the police department and Hispanic immigrants.
No local funding match is required to receive the grant, nor is a resolution from council required. City Manager Kurt Hodgen, however, said staff wanted council members to be aware of the application, given the large amount of money involved.
The application is due March 8. Components of the initiative would include community surveys and the hiring of a bilingual community liaison.
Banks said a “smaller element” is funding for Spanish-language training within HPD.
Councilman Abe Shearer said the department could recruit future employees, starting with today’s high school level, through the relationships it builds if the initiative is created.
Immigrants are often reluctant to report crimes because of their legal status or are uncooperative once an investigation begins, according to HPD. Local police also say many immigrants were used to police corruption in their birth countries.
HPD responded to 1,469 calls in 2012 in the defined program area, which amounts to 4.5 percent of all calls. Officials say that is “drastically below” the real number of situations that should prompt an emergency call.
Target neighborhoods for the project include the intersection of Country Club Road at Vine Street; along Country Club to the mobile home park at 1715 Country Club Road; and from the intersection of Reservoir and Hawkins streets to where Reservoir crosses Interstate 81.
Contact Preston Knight at 574-6272 or pknight@dnronline.com
Ande Banks, the city’s director of special projects and grant management, presented a $580,000 grant application request on behalf of HPD to City Council on Tuesday.
The grant, if awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, would establish the Latino Neighborhood Education and Prevention Initiative, a program meant to build rapport between the police department and Hispanic immigrants.
No local funding match is required to receive the grant, nor is a resolution from council required. City Manager Kurt Hodgen, however, said staff wanted council members to be aware of the application, given the large amount of money involved.
The application is due March 8. Components of the initiative would include community surveys and the hiring of a bilingual community liaison.
Banks said a “smaller element” is funding for Spanish-language training within HPD.
Councilman Abe Shearer said the department could recruit future employees, starting with today’s high school level, through the relationships it builds if the initiative is created.
Immigrants are often reluctant to report crimes because of their legal status or are uncooperative once an investigation begins, according to HPD. Local police also say many immigrants were used to police corruption in their birth countries.
HPD responded to 1,469 calls in 2012 in the defined program area, which amounts to 4.5 percent of all calls. Officials say that is “drastically below” the real number of situations that should prompt an emergency call.
Target neighborhoods for the project include the intersection of Country Club Road at Vine Street; along Country Club to the mobile home park at 1715 Country Club Road; and from the intersection of Reservoir and Hawkins streets to where Reservoir crosses Interstate 81.
Contact Preston Knight at 574-6272 or pknight@dnronline.com