Chapel Hill Police Department

A Tale of Homelessness

Six months have passed since the last time I saw Jose Luiz-Lopez Sanchez. His home, a cubby in the underside of a bridge in Chapel Hill, remains intact.

But as the seasons have changed, it seemed so had the man I found early in the spring planting his garden under the bridge. His 52 years were apparent by his weathered face, and the toothless smile did not come as easily.

“I came back to my garden because I must be here. I wanted to give the people something to enjoy. But life has become difficult, and now I am alone more than ever,” said Lopez-Sanchez in Spanish.

However, the man who has lived under a bridge on East Franklin Street for the past five years is not alone when it comes to the growing number of homeless in Orange County.

According to statistics gathered by the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness, homelessness has risen by 16 percent, and the growth of unsheltered homeless exploded by 240 percent since 2009.

Unsheltered homelessness is defined as someone who sleeps in a place not meant for a human habitation – such as cars, parks, tents, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, etc. While general homelessness, can also include those living with friends or in shelters.

“There are a lot more hungry people, more people without jobs, people are nervous because they don’t know where they are going to be a year from now. People who have lost their homes, and people who are going back to native countries because there is no work here,” said Chris Moran, executive director of the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service.

The IFC was established in 1963 by seven women from different local religious congregations who were upset about the state of poverty in the community and how invisible it was, according to Moran.

For the last 47 years, the IFC has organized clothing distribution centers, and lunch programs in the public schools. But mostly they are known for the shelter and food they provide to the homeless in the community.

“We have many roles, but our primary role right now is to support basic needs. It’s that simple. People need to be fed, people need to have a place to sleep, they need support, they need showers, direction, their questions answered, and that’s our primary purpose,” said Moran.

When I met Jose in March, the garden he planted was erupting in spring colors. Lopez-Sanchez had taken his love of landscaping and applied it to the area under the bridge where he lived.

His side of the hill was clean and tidy. Rows of flowers and plants cascaded down to the small river, and people walking over the bridge often stopped to take a look down into his world.

In addition to gardening, his sculpture talent was visible by the carved Mayan faces in chunks of large rocks laid in-between the flowerbeds. The old hammer and screwdriver he used to carve the rock faces were worn beyond recognition, and resembled nothing of their past newness.

“When I lived in California I worked for a company cutting down trees. I had no choice because I needed to make money, but I quit as soon as I could. Trees carry the history of the world and have been here much longer than we have,” Lopez-Sanchez shared.

But residents felt uncomfortable seeing a homeless man under the bridge by the Bowling Creek trail, and made several complaints to the Chapel Hill Police Department.

Those few calls warranted the police to begin an effort to find Jose, as called by the officers, another home.

A few different organizations in town came together to discuss his dilemma, and try to find a solution to his situation.

“We have known about Jose living under the bridge for several years now, and because for the most part he hasn’t caused any problems, we have looked the other way,” said Officer Charlie Pardo of the Chapel Hill police department.

“We were trying to figure out some way to get him full-time work and get him out from under the bridge. But the big thing that came up was that he doesn’t have a social security number, so he doesn’t qualify for a lot of the services offered, and getting a real job would be difficult,” said Officer Mark Geerken of the Chapel Hill police department.

Both Pardo and Geerken were involved with the community organizers looking for a solution for Jose. They built a relationship with him over the years, and Pardo was entrusted to communicate with him in Spanish.

They would stop to check on him from time-to-time under the bridge, and brought him a coat and toiletries when they conducted the Annual Point-in-Time Count.

The count is conducted yearly by the North Carolina Partnership to End Homelessness, and consists of various community members assisted by police officers to go out one night every year in January, and count the number of homeless.

The count is important because it gives the partnership a tally of who is homeless and a snapshot of who is experiencing homelessness.

Additionally, the partnership brings supplies such as coats, toiletries, and sleeping bags to give out to the people they find. These items are donated, and then pulled together by church organizers, according to Geerken.

But the count does not necessarily depict an accurate picture of what is occurring with homelessness in the community.

“It’s very difficult to quantify the number of homelessness in the area. It isn’t a precise number because all it counts is who is in the shelter and who’s on the streets that night. It doesn’t include the people who are doubled up with a friend, family member or in a public institution,” said Jamie Rohe, the homeless program coordinator for the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness.

But by the beginning of summer Jose had disappeared, and no one knew where he went.

Those who knew him questioned whether he had returned to Mexico to see his father who is dying, or if he had simply left town due to the complaints.

His multi-colored sleeping bags lay perfectly made on the flat concrete shelf under the bridge. His solar-powered radio hung draped under the metal frames, and his blue bicycle was tilted up against the wall. But Jose was not to be found.

His world seemed frozen in wait of his return, and every time I visited I saw the dark green ivy, taking over the loops and lulls of his bike.

Months went by, and as school was beginning to start its fall session my phone rang.

A “friend” who prefers to remain anonymous was on the other end. He had picked Jose up at the bus stop. Jose appeared to be healthy and in good spirits.

But the question remained. Where would Jose live?

Even with the offer of staying with his friend for a while, he went straight back to his home under the bridge.

“I went to go see my brother, and spend time with his family. I was going to try and stay there, but I decided to come back. I do not belong in an apartment,” said Lopez-Sanchez.

It was difficult for me to imagine him living in a home with four walls. It didn’t seem natural.

“Jose strikes me as a fiercely independent person who would have trouble fitting in to any of the houses we could place him in. I had a lot of trouble imagining him being interested in things like that,” said Andy Mulcahy, care coordinator of the OPC Area Program.

The OPC manages local services to provide mental health and substance abuse services to individuals in need. They have Oxford houses all over Orange County where folks who are trying to recover can live by paying rent, and working.

This type of living offers people the chance to disconnect from their previous lives, which may have included substance abuse issues, and save money to build a new life.

In the past, Lopez-Sanchez was arrested by the Chapel Hill police department twice for public drunkenness, and his secret addiction is well known amongst those closest to him.

“When he is making money and can send it home to his father he is happy, but when he has issues and is dealing with the pressures from the town, he is going to get drunk. And it’s not pretty,” said Jose’s friend.

“But how can you blame him? This is a man who lives far away from his family, country and under a bridge. He is bound to have a vice.”

While a large number of homeless seek to regain their status in society, reclaim their homes and find jobs, there are some like Jose who prefer to stay outside.

When I first visited Jose, I asked him about sleeping in the cold. He took me to the cubby where he slept, and gently put my hand up against the concrete being driven over as we spoke. It was very warm, and I even pulled back quickly from its heat.

“Here is it cool in the summer from the river, and in the winter the cars warm the bridge,” he said.

“There is a certain segment of the population that don’t want to come inside for whatever reason, and we respect that. I know one guy who never comes inside to sleep, but he comes inside to eat. He’s a veteran, has a bad back, doesn’t want to live like he did when he was in the barracks, is claustrophobic and sometimes gets upset. I think he is more angry with the system than he is anything. Everybody has a different story,” said Moran.

Why do some people prefer to live outside? There is very little research on the subject, but everything I found came to one conclusion. There are many.

“I don’t think there’s any rhyme or reason, because it’s up to the individual. When we, any of us, try to come up with a solution for people we don’t know, it’s often the wrong solution. It’s up to the individual. Some guys have told me it’s because they don’t want to follow rules or routine, some people are claustrophobic, they don’t like crowds or activity. They may want to drink more or do other things they cannot do inside an organized place. We need to stop saying that we have to bring them all back inside, because I don’t think that’s ever going to happen,” explained Moran.

But not everyone agrees with the philosophy that some prefer to stay outdoors.

“I haven’t personally been in the field long enough to have really dealt with it, but I question whether there is anyone who wants to be homeless. I think there are people who love the outdoors, who love nature or who have mental illnesses that prevent them from being indoors. But I think there are people who have trouble competing and succeeding in our society, and they became homeless because of that,” said Rohe.

The O.C. Partnership to End Homelessness has made ending homelessness a goal they hope to attain in 10 years. However, as Rohe explained, this goal will not include those that prefer to stay outside.

“There are people who are very resistant to treatment or assistance, and we cannot help all those people. We tried to develop one plan for an individual who had a severe drinking problem, but he did not want help, and prefers to drink himself to death. There are just some people you can’t help because they don’t want it, and there’s nothing you can do,” said Rohe.

The North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness compiled information from across the state in the 2010 Point-in-Time count, and the numbers are bleak.

A total of 12,157 were counted as experiencing homelessness. Those labeled as chronically homeless were 12 percent, while 11 percent had mental illness, 9 percent were veterans, and 24 percent had a diagnosable substance abuse disorder.

The IFC in Chapel Hill stated in its 2009-2010 highlights that the Community Kitchen served 87, 288 meals, some 2,938 local households were eligible to receive monthly groceries, and AmeriCorps Hispanic Coordinator helped 1,697 Spanish-speaking clients.

Most recently, the IFC released its most staggering figures. One in every five Orange County residents is in poverty, and 3,001 Carrboro and Chapel Hill households (about 14,000 people) depend on the IFC’s food pantry. That is 23 percent more households recorded than last year.

But while the community is becoming more familiar with homelessness, the only thing Jose is concerned about, are the coming winter months.

“I know it will be very cold this winter. I have prepared myself and will be ready when it arrives. If it gets very cold, I will go back to Greensboro and stay with my brother. But I prefer to be here with my garden. This is where I belong,” said Lopez-Sanchez calmly as he motioned to his hillside.

And as I took in the rows of sleeping plants, naked bushes and stone-cobbled walkway he built to the other side of the river, I knew he was right.

This is where he wants to be.

What is La Voz Translation Services?

I realized two days ago I haven’t been keeping my blog up to date on the program I have been working on.

Truthfully, I’ve been too busy to be as diligent with my blog writing as I need or want to be, but I thought I had dedicated one blog to talking about the program and everything it has to offer.

The process of getting La Voz together has been, well, quite the process. I have wanted to write about the frustrations and issues all along, but a large part of me doesn’t like putting negative energy into the “blog-sphere.” (Yes, that’s one of my words…I think) 🙂 But now the rough waters are beginning to calm, and I can see where I could have shared.

La Voz was a project I came up with over the summer while working with the Carrboro Police Department. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the meanderings I was doing mentally would turn into a solid idea. I worked there as an office girl, and part-time interpretor. I was able to assist the police officers and detectives when someone came in who could only speak Spanish – if they needed my help.

The police department does not have anyone on their staff who is fluent in Spanish, and with Carrboro’s Latino population resting at 9.1%, that’s a significant chunk of the community who is unable to communicate. To be fair, the CPD is actively looking for officers who are fluent, and would like to incorporate more Spanish speakers to the team.

But, this lack resulted in arrests for small tickets, or other time and money consuming activities which were often the consequence of simply not being understood. It is not natural for Latinos to appear in court for every ticket they are given.

I saw pain and frustration among the non-English speakers (some whom were not Spanish speakers), and the police department on money and time wasted in the court systems. I asked myself repeatedly how this could be solved. I knew there had to be a solution.

The solution came to me as most ideas or “solutions” (I call them Ahna solutions) do – at 3 a.m. when I am being an insomniac and can’t seem to turn my brain off. But, like all great ideas it was thought over, and then pushed aside because I didn’t have the time or the resources to begin such an endeavor.

The time came through a project in my Latina/o Media Studies class at UNC-Chapel Hill. We weren’t supposed to create a solution to the communities need, we were just supposed to create media products that would help Latinos. Of course, I took it to the extreme.

La Voz Translation Services is a volunteer-based program that will assist the Chapel Hill and Carrboro Police Departments in their communication with non-English speaking residents. It will also assist non-English speaking residents communicate with the police department. The program is to remain neutral in all its interactions, and remain “The Voice” between two languages.

La Voz Translation Services

The program has incredible potential to truly meet the needs of the community on several levels, and although we are initially going to begin working with the police departments, the goal is to reach out to other government and local organizations in the future. And I plan to extend the languages offered through the program.

La Voz has been featured in several publications, and was just asked to be interviewed by La Voz Presenta which is a television program in Kinston, North Carolina. The weekly show is shown across 26 counties, and seen by over three million viewers.

La Voz is currently in talks with two organizations heavily rooted in the Triangle, one with UNC-CH, and the other within the community. Both of these partnerships would enable La Voz the support and resources to elevate to a level where it could make an enormous impact. Exciting news will be coming….

I am including links to the articles published on La Voz, as well as our Facebook and Twitter accounts. I plan to create the website over my Christmas break, and will post that link as well when it is completed.

Please look into the program, follow us on Twitter, “like” our Facebook page (to stay up on news), and share your feedback and ideas. Programs such as these are conceived through one individual, but are given flight through the participation of many individuals. I welcome any ideas.

Latino Journalism and Media at Carolina (latijam)

Carrboro Commons

The Daily Tar Heel

La Voz Translation Services Facebook Page (please note, you will need to be signed into Facebook to access the page – if the link does not work you can search “La Voz Translation Services” and it will come right up)

@LaVozNC Twitter

Please feel free to contact us for volunteer opportunities at lavoztranslation@gmail.com

The Man Under The Bridge

Now he is lives in Chapel Hill and is one of the 156 homeless people counted in the 2009 N.C. Point-in-Time Count, yet his situation is unique. For the past five years he has resided under a bridge located on East Franklin Street, but due to recent complaints law enforcement have asked him to move.

The home he has built under the steel and cement bridge is a direct example of his respect for nature. He has turned the side of the hill next to the bridge into his personal garden and landscaped it from top to bottom.

That is the good news, but the bad news is that some residents find his lifestyle to be different and even a little scary.

At least one resident has pressured authorities to remove him because those who walk the Bowling Creek trail that runs across the other side of the creek can see him in his “house” and wonder if he is a potential danger to the life that walks by him.

What should be done?

“We at the police department were aware of Jose living under the bridge for a number of years now, and for the most part he hasn’t caused any issues so we have looked the other way. But when people are feeling uneasy or unsafe we have to figure out what to do, because that is our job,” said Officer Charlie Pardo of the Chapel Hill police department.

Jose, 52, is an average-sized man with long curly hair that he ties up in a ponytail, usually hidden underneath a baseball cap. He wears clean crisp clothing and dresses well. His skin is darkened from working in the sun, but he smiles often and always has a dreamy look in his eyes. His hands are coarse and beaten, but strong.

Lopez-Sanchez referred to as “Jose” moved to the United States when he was 17 years old in search of a different life than the one he knew in the desert of Zacateca, Mexico. He moved to California where he realized his passion for nature and its beauty that play such a large role in who he is today.

His home site “was covered in ivy when I first moved here and there was trash everywhere. I have always enjoyed working with the earth and wanted to make this into a peaceful place,” said Jose.

The side of the hill has been tilled and straw covers the upper-most part where new grass is steadily creeping through. The tilt of the hill falls into cascading rows of plants outlined in rocks of different shapes and sizes and he has laid a pebble stone floor to walk across.

Jose is also an artist and has several of his sculptures lying throughout the garden. The rock faces vary in size and shape and carry their own individual stories. His first piece is part eagle and part man. To Jose it represents strength and freedom and was influenced by the Aztecs.

“I read some information about the Aztecs in the library and saw what they did with the rocks. I thought that I could do that-so I came back and tried. I use old tools on the rocks and it can take a long time, but I like to work with stones,” said Jose.

Jose and the issue of homelessness in Orange County have not gone unnoticed by officials. Many task forces and service providers have begun coming together regularly to merge resources and discuss particular individuals.

The Point-in-Time Count is a count of the homeless-at best, a rough estimate in Orange County conducted one evening every year. The numbers generated from the reports are not concrete.

“It is very difficult to quantify the number of homelessness in the area. It isn’t a precise number because it only counts those who are in a shelter or in the streets that night. It doesn’t include people who are doubled-up with a friend or family member or the people in public institutions like a hospital or jail,” said Jamie Rohe, homeless program coordinator for the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness.

There have been complaints about Jose living under the bridge over the past several years, and law enforcement has acted accordingly by paying him a visit, but their hands are tied in terms of what can legally be done.

“The general complaints lodged against Jose are mostly just that a person is living under the bridge and something needs to be done about it. It scares some people and others are just concerned about his well-being,” said Captain Leo Vereene of the Chapel Hill police department.

“The Bowling Creek trail is a Chapel Hill greenway and OWASA shares the waterways, but the bridge belongs to the Department of Transportation. There really is no legislative authority to run someone off from under the bridge, and the DOT people say there is nothing to act on,” said Matt Sullivan, attorney and police crisis counselor for the Chapel Hill police department.

“Folks like Jose get a bad rap because of the other homeless folks. A very small part of their population causes most of our problems, and he is unfortunately bearing the baggage of every other homeless person who has done something wrong,” said Sullivan.

The culmination of the decision to ask Jose to leave is the result of only a few resident complaints. The Chapel Hill police department prefers to let Jose stay under the bridge since he has not caused any problems, but the pressure to take action has reached new levels.

“All of these complaints are from a few people, it is not like there is a public outcry, but these few people have made a lot of noise. One gentleman felt that we were dragging our feet, but we don’t want to violate anyone’s rights and Jose has rights, too. We want to address it, but we want to address it in the right way,” said Captain Jeff Clark of the Chapel Hill police department.

This compassion to assist Jose led to his being the main topic of the monthly Coalition to End Homelessness meeting for April. A few law enforcement officers who personally know Jose were asked to attend the meeting. With the officers and service providers on hand, they were able to discuss Jose’s situation and the possible alternatives for him.

“The big thing that came up was that he doesn’t have a Social Security number so he doesn’t qualify for many of the services available in the community. He would have to be paid under the table and so there is no way to find him a job,” said Officer Mark Geercken of the Chapel Hill police department.

But Jose has worked for the same person for several years. Jose’s friend, whose name is protected, regularly hires undocumented workers to work on big projects or for his business. He regularly employs Jose to work in his own yard and around his home.

“I met him five years ago when I needed some help on a job. I didn’t speak much Spanish at the time, but we were able to communicate enough to know what we were doing. He seemed to be really responsible and good at what he was doing and we slowly became friends,” said the friend.

The friendship grew and about six months later Hills realized that Jose was living under a bridge when he told him about the garden he was creating.

“I went and checked it out. There was trash everywhere, but not in his area. He had cleaned it up and was cleaning up more. It was almost like it was his, he was just determined to make it beautiful and the more I got to know him I realized how much it meant to him,” said the friend.

He lets Jose do his laundry and take showers in his home, and allows him to eat for free in his place of business. He trusts Jose so much that he occasionally lets him stay in his home when he leaves town.

“I would come home and all the dishes would be put away, he had done my laundry and cooked a bunch of food. He is an excellent cook.”

The friend is not alone in his empathy for Jose. There is a large group of people trying to figure out solutions for his dilemma, including the police.

“I just heard about Jose in the monthly meeting and what struck me was the compassion for him, the way everyone spoke about him and how concerned they are. The police are really willing to work with service providers who will help them get the most they can get for Jose,” said Rohe.

But options for Jose are scarce because he is undocumented. Andy Mulcahy, the care coordinator for the Orange County Partnership To End Homelessness suggested the possibility of an Oxford House or the use of a shelter so that he could save money.

Oxford houses are local communities that house folks in need of a change in their environment. However, tenants are required to pay rent and Chapel Hill’s Oxford House costs $100 a week which Jose cannot afford.

According to the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness website, out of the 156 homeless that were counted in 2009, about 50 are mothers with children and another eight are women without families. All of these like Jose have to find a place to eat and sleep as well. But it is much easier for those with Social Security numbers to tap into resources.

“It is very limited what we can do, because anything with federal money will require a Social Security number. We have a few options, but he (Jose) strikes me as a type of guy who is fiercely independent and would have trouble fitting into these situations. I don’t think he would be interested,” said Mulcahy.

But with all these organizations working together to find a solution for Jose, those who know him personally all agree that he only wants to continue living under the bridge and working in his garden.

“The thing with Jose is that he has been offered all sorts of assistance and resources, but he just really doesn’t want to go. As far as I am concerned, as long as you don’t mess with anyone else’s rights, you can do whatever you want to,” said Sullivan.

“I cannot imagine putting someone out in the open for over five years and then putting them inside of a house. He will just find another bridge because it is just the way he has peace. He doesn’t have to pay for it and he is able to work in his garden,” said his friend Hills.

And asking Jose doesn’t seem to clarify matters. He is undecided about exactly what it is he wants, but says his devotion to his garden will continue regardless of where he lives.

“I am getting older and I think I would like to try to live in a home. I would also like to return to Mexico, but I do not know if that is possible. I will always return to take care of my plants-always,” said Jose.

It is hot outside and a breeze is carrying itself through the legs of the bridge. The sun is shining brightly overhead and Jose is making a pair of leather sandals out of a coat he was given during the winter. He has cut the arms off and is slicing them into strips before braiding them into the reused sole of an old pair of flip-flops. His dark brown skin matches the slices of leather, and as always he is smiling peacefully.

“My dream would be for a crosswalk to be placed on the river so that people can come over and enjoy the garden whenever they would like,” said Jose.

“I am very blessed. I have beauty all around me and I enjoy my garden.”

Jose Luiz Lopez-Sanchez has been missing for over a week. His belongings and plants remain untouched.

Equality Found in Orange County Law Enforcement

Orange County law enforcement says it is important that immigrants feel they are treated equally in the community.

Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass sat down with citations in hand. All six were cited for driving without a license. As the pages turned he read the reason behind the citation and disclosed the race of the offender-three Hispanics, one African American and two Caucasians.

Pendergrass is running for reelection in part on a platform of tolerance.

“My policy is everyone should get the same courtesy regardless of race. We don’t have problems with Hispanics in Orange County. As law enforcement we must treat everybody like we want to be treated because we are not here in servitude, but we are the servants of the people,” said Pendergrass.

Pendergrass has been in law enforcement since 1957 and credits his open-mindedness to previous law enforcers he worked under before becoming the sheriff.

“I had a couple of the best mentors in the Chapel Hill police department. Chief W.D. Blake was one that came to us in the summer of ’62 and said that sit-ins were going to begin. We were to go and do our job, but we were to be compassionate and understandable because we had to live here,” said Pendergrass.

“I also credit it to the great University of North Carolina. Even if you don’t attend or graduate from UNC-CH, a lot of that good stuff rubs off on you,” said Pendergrass.

In the sheriff’s office Hispanics are only brought in if they have committed a crime. Then they are entered into the system through fingerprinting. This enables the SBI, FBI and immigration services to monitor for repeat offenders.

“Unless it is a serious crime, they are not going to come in and deport a Hispanic. Immigration calls us, we don’t call them. Sometimes they will simply call in and ask to speak with the Hispanic before being released,” said Pendergrass.

According to reports available through the sheriff’s office, in 2009 the Orange County ran 280 sets of fingerprints through the system, and only 12 of those Hispanics were turned over to immigration.

Hispanics and other immigrants are dealt with in the same manner across the county by other law enforcement departments and many credit the unique behavior to the diversity of the area.

“When you are in a university town and you deal with student populations, you deal with well-educated people. Your thinking tends to be a little different about other cultures in trying to understand them, and the compassion it takes to deal with people coming from different backgrounds,” said Captain Booker of the Carrboro Police Department.

Carrboro and Chapel Hill police departments work diligently to have patience with the communication gaps and use the resources that are provided to them to understand as best they can.

Corporal Frye of the Carrboro police department said that officers have many resources available, including a language line where they can call and have someone translate if necessary.

“Usually Hispanics find someone to help them translate before police arrive and if we cannot find someone to help, then we have a language line that will translate back and forth for us. We do everything we can to communicate, and I don’t think we have any problems, it just takes longer,” said Frye.

It is not difficult for police departments to earn reputations of being hard-nosed or difficult when it comes to dealing with minorities in any fashion, but that is not the case in Orange County.

“Generally speaking, I think the officers bring a non-biased approach in dealing with the Hispanic population, and I say that honestly. I think our guys have bought into the philosophy of doing the right thing and policing has changed. It is more about the root of the problem and trying to point them in the right direction with the resources available so that they can live a better life,” said Officer Pardo, of the Chapel Hill police department.

“This community has progressed because of the attitudes of the leaders in the communities, the mayors, the aldermen, and the commissioners. Sometimes we are criticized in Orange County for being too liberal, but I don’t think we are so liberal that we would want someone harmed. We try to get along with people,” said Pendergrass.

Carrboro & Chapel Hill, NC not interested in immigration status

When Officer Charlie Pardo approaches Hispanic residents of either Carrboro or Chapel Hill, he never asks to see their immigration papers.

“I give them whatever advice I can give them. One of the first questions they ask is about being undocumented and I say we don’t even look at your documentation status, we are here to serve everyone equally,” said Pardo.

Pardo works for the Chapel Hill Police Department and in conjunction with the Carrboro Police Department as the Hispanic Liaison for the two neighboring towns. He is seen as a trustworthy policeman in the eyes of many Hispanics in the area.

Carrboro and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, have a liberal stance in dealing with Hispanic immigrants compared to some surrounding jurisdictions.

“Carrboro was one of the first agencies to come out and take some stance on direction as far as how to deal with this (immigration). We were not the very first, but one of the first in the nation. And I know Chapel Hill was early on as well,” said Captain J.G. Booker of the Carrboro Police Department.

On May 16, 2007, the mayor and Board of Aldermen passed a policy that stated, “The Carrboro Police Department will not seek to arrest persons when the sole basis for arresting such persons is that such persons have or may have committed a civil immigration violation.”

“Our policy is that our officers will not ask anybody about their immigration status, and the only time their documentation status comes into play is if they commit a serious crime,” said Pardo.

This stance has allowed for some Hispanics to be permitted to return to their homes after being caught with minor traffic violations, instead of being taken to jail.

Recently a man from Guatemala was pulled over. He was found without identification and the vehicle was not his. After uncovering the reasoning behind the situation, we were able to let him go, and he was very thankful, said Pardo.

This attitude varies slightly with surrounding counties. Wake and Alamance counties both have the 287G program in place, which gives local officers federal training in order to assist in the recognition of illegal immigrants in their areas.

The backbone of the program consists of a computer system that is available to the local branches and includes information from government enforcement across the nation.

It includes fingerprints from sources such as the FBI and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and when an individual is booked for a crime they have the resources to know his immigration status without delay.

“If someone has committed a crime they are brought to my jail and are immediately checked through the system. I need to know who is in my jail, and if they are illegal then they are turned over to ICE,” said Sheriff Donnie Harrison of Wake County.

According to the ICE Web site, their mission is “to protect the security of the American people and homeland by vigilantly enforcing the nation’s immigration and customs laws.”

The 287G program, “allows a state and local law enforcement entity to enter into a partnership with ICE, under a joint Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), in order to receive delegated authority for immigration enforcement within their jurisdictions,” as stated on the ICE Web site.

In 2008, 3,100 immigrants were placed in deportation proceedings from seven counties in North Carolina under the 287G program. But more than 1,200 of those people where stopped for traffic violations other than impaired driving, according to an article in the News & Observer.

However, the article stated that some civil rights activists were against “arresting someone for speeding because of their questionable immigration status takes limited resources from law enforcement that could be used to fight serious crime. The practice also leaves people of color open to racial profiling.”

The policy put into place in Carrboro and Chapel Hill is in direct opposition of such behavior. Some local jurisdictions felt that local officers don’t really have the authority to enforce federal law, says Booker.

“What we do is enforce laws either by state law or city ordinance so our direction was that we will let the feds deal with that and we will deal with what we deal with locally,” said Booker.

But all three counties agree that if a crime is committed against an illegal immigrant, then the best course of action would be to notify the police in their area.

“We are here to help and would not be interested in looking into the immigration status of an individual if they were to report a crime,” said Harrison.

(My first news article on Hispanics-it may or may not be picked up by local news chains)