WACO, Texas — "Unidos" means united, something the Waco Police Department is taking steps to accomplish. The department is launching a brand new program as a way to help guide and support the Latino community.
"I want them overall to have a better quality of life," Anita Gomez, Waco PD Neighborhood Engagement Officer, said. "I don't want them to be left behind or left out ... We care about them and we want to be there for them."
On Wednesday, March 15, at the South Waco Recreation Center, Waco PD officially launched a program for the Latino community to feel united with the police department called "Unidos".
Founder Steve Dye started the program in 2002.
"We want to make sure that if they come from a country where they can't trust the police, that they understand here we're your partner," Steve Dye, the City Manager of Grand Prairie and Founder of "Unidos", said. "We're here with you, not against you."
Officer Anita Gomez has noticed a disconnect between the police department and Latino community for many years.
"They just didn't want to call us. They see us as a threat," Gomez said. "They possibly see us as an immigration threat, and we're not."
Whether it's through domestic violence guidance, tickets, crime prevention or every day life, the "Unidos" program is here to change that.
"This is your program," Dye said. "This is a place for you to come ask your questions about banking, insurance, whatever the case may be."
It is a program aimed at serving the needs and wants of the Latino community.
"We want to point them to all the resources that the city of Waco has to offer for them ... Build a bridge, build that trust and have the Hispanic Waco community trust us," Gomez said.
Waco PD will become the 26th department to start their own chapter in the state of Texas. But, it doesn't stop there; it's intended to be a chain reaction.
"What I always dreamed of is that this would spread to all communities because it's not about the Garland Police Department or Grand Prairie Police Department," Dye said. "It's about all communities."
It's about all communities, with one goal: Unite.
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