Santa Ana Police Department, Santa Ana CA, Continues Crime Prevention Strategies with Guatemalan Officials from the municipalities of Santa Catarina Pinula, Palencia, and Mixco as well as with Police Recruits and Administrators from the National Civil Police of Guatemala.

During the week of July 14th, 2013, I was fortunate enough to share with Guatemalan stakeholders crime prevention strategies that have     proven successful in the City of Santa Ana over the past two decades and I also had the special opportunity to address police academy administrators and recruits in Guatemala regarding Community Oriented Policing Strategies.  Dr. Cristina Jose Kampfner, a psychologist and co-founder of the Evergreen-Cedar Center also shared her experiences with the program that she started in Santa Ana.

The underlying talks with the municipalities centered on crime prevention efforts that the City of Santa Ana has embraced in partnership with the different stakeholders within the community.  The talks had an underlying emphasis on building trust.  One partnership that was highlighted is the one that exists between the Evergreen-Cedar Community Center and the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD). 

The Evergreen-Cedar Center was started by Dr. Cristina Jose Kampfner in collaboration with retired SAPD Sgt. Kevin Brown in one of Santa Ana’s most crime-ridden and neglected neighborhoods.  The Center is a safe haven for kids needing an accessible library or quiet place to complete homework and it also functions as a place where parents can get much needed counseling, advice, and support from each other in their quest to better their community and keep their children safe.  The center also hosts the SAPD in providing The Parent Academy; a comprehensive 4 week course that teaches parents a variety of topics relating to their children.

It was a pleasure to see that after representatives from both Palencia and Santa Catarina, Guatamala visited Santa Ana in March 2013, they have committed to the idea of developing projects at schools for children and providing more support to develop programs such as those offered by the Evergreen-Cedar Center.  To show us the work that they are doing, municipality members took us to their community centers.  The centers I visited were filled with kids learning art, music, computing, and they all had willing parents and community members that were dedicated to help make the centers a success.  I was able to take my observations and integrate them into my talks as I shared other strategies and programs that have proven successful in Santa Ana such as the Explorer Program, Jr. COP, and SAPAAL (Santa Ana’s Youth Athletic League).

My presentations at the Guatemala Police Academy were especially meaningful as I was able to share my experiences over the past two decades when it comes to the Community Oriented Policing Philosophy.  I began my career when the shift toward community policing was looked at by many as merely an idea, the latest fad, or a label; that some in law enforcement were being forced to transition toward, rather than the proven policing strategy that police agencies now strive to perfect. 

My presentation with the police academy administrators and instructors was well received as I was able to bring the perspective from an academy recruit, who came into this profession when it was transitioning from the post 1992 Los Angeles Riots, through my present experiences and active participation within the SAPD’s community policing outreach efforts.  The police recruits were receptive and taking notes as I was able to personalize my talk with them by sharing my own experiences as a former police academy instructor and field training officer.

Even though the policing structure in Guatemala is different than that in the United States, the recruits had many interesting questions that they posed during the question and answer session.  One of the questions centered on the challenge of immersion within the community where one works and the threat of violence toward law enforcement by the criminal element.  We brainstormed different strategies like the development of confidential informants, developing block captains, and identifying local leaders that can help law enforcement help the community.

As I reflect on this trip, I could only feel optimistic about the communities and the challenges that my Guatemalan friends will face when it comes to crime and violence prevention.  These communities are on a solid path toward reducing juvenile delinquency as they are already implementing proven strategies that they learned about when they visited Santa Ana.  The confidence and eagerness that I saw by everyone involved in this effort speaks volumes about their resolve to succeed.

One of the main challenges that these communities will face when it comes to the implementation of specific strategies will be the ability to identify and raise funds for different program costs.  Funding remains a problem that transcends national lines, as we are all doing more with less nowadays.   However, I shared some strategies with the Guatemalan officials that I spoke with -- build the network, make the connections, knock on doors, pitch the programs to those who might be able to help, and the funding will come.

The question of finding fund providers came up during my visit to Mixco.  I gave Mayor Otto Pérez Leal the example of one Santa Ana Police Service Officer, who wrote company after company dozens of requests for any surplus’ they might have (i.e. extra computers, bicycle helmets, backpacks).  I described how one determined individual (PSO Gloria Perez), for the price of a stamp and a well written letter, obtained a semi-truck load full of donated word processors that arrived one day at the SAPD Westend Office, and how hundreds of backpacks and bicycle helmets were also donated by other companies eager to help the cause; all of which were distributed to the kids involved in our programs.  The look on the Mayor’s face when I described Gloria’s resolve to gather supplies was all I needed to know that he got my message and that nothing was going to stop the people of Mixco, Guatemala from doing the same.

The success of this trip could not have been possible without the tireless effort put forth by Lisa Lau, Program Manager for ICMA, Carlos Loría-Chaves, ICMA’s Governance & Economic Advisor and Regional Program Director for AMUPREV (Municipal Partnerships for Violence Prevention in Central America), the USAID-funded program under which this trip was made possible, and Karin Peña, AMUPREV ’s Local Technical Consultant in Guatemala.  Lisa, Karin, and Carlos were instrumental in coordinating the trip, advising on the different triumphs and challenges experienced within each municipality, and on the strategies that have worked to date.  They also provided much feedback on the proposed power point presentations, ensuring that they were as impactful as possible.  This preparation, which began over a month before the trip, made it possible for us to share the community policing concepts and experiences that will have the greatest bearing and probability of success with our Guatemalan friends.  This team also prepared me well for what I was to expect and what would be expected of me.

I extend many thanks to ICMA on behalf of the City of Santa Ana Police Department for the partnerships that they have built and for allowing the SAPD to share in these important exchanges.  I also thank Chief Carlos Rojas for the opportunity to represent and share our efforts when it comes to community policing.

Respectfully,

Detective Corporal Adrian Silva