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Mesa’s new police chief appears to be a good fit for community

Mesa Police Chief George Gascon happens to be Latino

Mesa Police Chief George Gascón is a man of varied talents.

The 52-year-old, Cuban-born top cop has a history degree, is a lawyer and is a trained leader.

The former assistant chief of the Los Angeles department will need all that and some luck. He inherited a police department with morale deemed the "lowest ever" by a local police union leader. The departing police chief called the force "overworked, understaffed or undersourced." And a recent investigation into e-mail abuse had one out of every five sworn officers in disciplinary trouble.

The past relationship between police and Latinos in this East Valley city has been uneasy. In November 2004, local Latino groups demonstrated against the shooting death of Mario Madrigal Jr. by Mesa police.

Yet none of that was apparent during a recent visit to interview Mesa’s new chief. Seems there’s a honeymoon right now between Gascón and his charges. Steve Badger, his administrative assistant, gave a thumbs up and "He’s great" when referring to the new boss. He said it with a sincerity that went beyond job security.

Latino leaders are finding the L.A. import accessible. He was seen huddling with Latino Republicans at Durant’s, a Phoenix power dining spot. A non-partisan networker, he’s been meeting with liberals, too.

Pat Esparza, executive director of the Mesa Association of Hispanic Citizens, says Gascón is community-oriented and willing to take a leadership role in Mesa.

"He’s a leader, not just of the police department, but of the people in the community," Esparza says. She adds his fluent Spanish is building bridges to Mesa’s Latino population and Spanish-language media.

Gascón leads a department with 1,400 employees and a $141 million annual budget. He is big on community policing, he says, and early next year promises to implement a series of community forums to discuss issues.

In addition, he’s putting together advisory groups for insight into the different populations: Latino, youth, seniors, business, etc. He’s also forming community advisory boards for the four police stations in Mesa. A community advisory board was a demand by groups protesting police shootings; that request got a cold response from the previous chief.

Most Mesans – Latinos and non-Latinos -- say Gascón is a good fit, especially for Mesa’s future. Hispanics are predicted to become the majority population in Mesa by 2030.

"I’m a chief of police that happens to be Latino," Gascón says. "Being bilingual and having a bicultural background allows me to be more sensitive and culturally competent."

Note: A full version of the interview with Mesa Police Chief George Gascón can be viewed at www.latinopm.com.