TYLER, Texas — The Tyler Police Department is working to strengthen relationships with the Hispanic community in East Texas. Community response officer Bianca Smedley is representing a lot of firsts for the city of Tyler.
"I think it’s beautiful. I think as a Hispanic community we’re growing," Smedley said.
It's a community that is reflective of the Tyler police force. Smedley is paving the road for Hispanic outreach for the Tyler Police Department in the Rose City.
"That excites me. Especially since I grew up here (Tyler) in the northeast," Smedley said.
Growing up in a Hispanic neighborhood, Smedley wanted to make a change in her own community. Just this spring, Tyler PD created "comunidad," a neighborhood crime watch for Spanish-speaking residents.
"We knew that maybe the reason why they weren’t attending our crime watch meetings was because of the language barrier," Smedley said. "We didn’t anyone to feel intimidated. We wanted it to be welcoming,"
Smedley is also a mentor for the department’s cadet program. Within the last 10 years, the number of Hispanic officers has tripled. Smedley has also seen an increase in the young Hispanic community joining the cadet program.
"I think that’s awesome because like I said any child wants to see their superhero look like them. If law enforcement is in their heart and they want to do that, I can mentor them and guide them," Smedley said.
Growing up Smedley didn’t have someone like her to look up to, which is why she is answering the call to be that role model for the younger generation of aspiring officers by being out in the community
Recently, Smedley helped organize the Tyler Police Department's first Hispanic-oriented National Night Out. The event featured traditional music and dances that relate to the Hispanic culture. This event also offered an abundance of resources for the Hispanic community that lives in the same Smedley grew up in.
"It’s amazing to see how the community came together to make this happen," Smedley said.
For community member Raquel Rodriguez and her daughter Alyssa Rodriguez, they say it’s a step in the right direction to bridge the gap of fear between the Hispanic community and law enforcement.
"With all the Hispanic community seeing that they are here, they’re present, they’re visible and that they’re willing to step up and be present with us," Raquel Rodriguez said.
Alyssa is in Tyler PD's cadet program – the same one Smedley mentors.
"It’s not me out there all by myself. There’s more people out there that I can look up to," Alyssa Rodriguez said.
When it comes to building relaciones or relationships between the Hispanic community with law enforcement, the building blocks for that go beyond eventos en la comunidad or events in the community.
Paulina Pedrosa, a community leader who was invited to teach this group of officers intermediate Spanish, help officers learn the language to earn their certification for the Texas Commission of Law Enforcement.
"If they (the Hispanic community) listen to the police officer that they speak Spanish, that breaks the ice," Pedroza said.
With officers learning Spanish, Pedroza said it’s more about learning the language and breaking the ice – it’s about knowing the culture as well.
"By knowing the language, by knowing our culture, by knowing our traditions, and by knowing what’s important to us. That will help the case to be solved faster and in an easier way," Pedroza said.
Smedley and her colleagues are leading the effort to better enhance officer relationships in the local Hispanic community.
"It’s great they get to learn Spanish and they get to learn who lives in their city and their community leaders and what they’re doing for the community as well," Smedley said.
The next "comunidad" meeting will take place Saturday, Oct. 7 at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler from noon - 2 p.m. For more information click HERE.