Monterey County Sheriff works to build trust with Latino community

Working to build trust with the Latino community, Monterey County Sheriff Steve Bernal held a town hall meeting in Greenfield Wednesday.

Only a handful of people showed up at the community center off Oak Avenue. One person in the audience said the low turnout reflects the lack of trust the Latino community has in law enforcement.

“I would say trust is something really important in the community. It might also have something to do with people feeling intimidated,” said Judith Pacheco who works with the Latino community.

An indigenous interpreter, Pacheco works with the non-English speaking community every day. She was at the meeting to help both sides communicate.

Getting straight to the point, Bernal asked if anyone is afraid of law enforcement – they responded with silence.

“We wanted to reach out to that community and talk to them, reach out to them and address any concerns that they might have,” said Bernal.

Some of their concerns had to do with emergency response times, lack of communication and their overall fear of the badge. But as the meeting went on they weren’t afraid to speak-up. That’s exactly why Sheriff Bernal said he holds these meetings.

“Basically, it’s more of about reaching out, that face-to-face communication with the community,” he said.

And for Pacheco, she said communication is key in order to build trusting relationships.

“That way they can have a voice. Wehave a large indigenous community in Monterey County,” said Pacheco.