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  Intl. & NRI News |
| LA to Set Up Indo-Pak Advisory Council |
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Intl. & NRI News |
| LA to Set Up Indo-Pak Advisory Council |
By: MICHEL W. POTTS
Source: India West; October 21, 1999
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca announced Oct. 8 that he plans to have an Indian-Pakistani Advisory Council in place by the turn of the millennium.
The board will be "a way of getting me and deputies into the Indian and Pakistani communities," the sheriff told India-West at a press conference that included Narendra "Naz" Patel and Mahendra "Mike" Patel, who were both recently sworn in as reserve officers.
"As the sheriff of this county, I am the proponent of public safety for everybody, and the Pakistani and Indian communities are a very important part of this region," Baca noted after acknowledging that some Indian merchants in Artesia's Little India have been victims of crime.
"There's not a lot of crime in these communities, but there's enough to make those who have businesses feel fearful of being a victim, and we want to make sure that these businesses are safe and that the slightest provocation of a crime is being reported to us right away."
Mike Corona, the Sheriff of Orange County, announced only days earlier that he was setting up a similar advisory council composed of black and Latino community leaders and activists with whom he will meet every four months.
"Mike and I meet frequently and we share the same interests," Baca said. "We think that both counties because of their composition require more public safety involvement."
Since there is a certain reluctance within the Indian and Pakistani communities to report crimes that occur within the family, or a certain mistrust of the police in general, "by having this advisory council, the word gets out fast," Baca maintained.
"Instead of coming to me first with a problem, an individual can go to one of these advisory council members, talk over the problem, ask what advice they can provide, and then this person could bring the individual into the department formally in a manner that doesn't make the individual who's a victim feel that they are going to be disrespected or discounted."
The advisory council's by-laws are currently being drawn up, "and there have been a number of individuals identified to participate as part of the council," Baca said, adding that once the council has been set up, it will meet once a month.
One of the more pressing issues the advisory council will tackle is the recruitment of more deputy sheriffs, since "I have 700 vacancies in the department and I need to push hard to get more Indian and Pakistani applicants," Baca stated.
Baca also wants more reserve officers like the Patels to join the Executive Reserve Company, which comprises individuals from all walks of life "who are interested in building bridges within their professions or their communities with the Sheriff's Department," Baca said.
While those between the ages of 21 and 55 are eligible to join, the average age of is 45. During training at the Sheriff's Academy, the recruits undergo the Peace Officer's Standard and Training Program, approved by the state of California, which provides them with 160 hours of minimum training.
Once the recruits become reserve officers they can wear the badge and uniform. They may also carry a weapon, but only while on duty, even though they do not have the power to enforce laws or perform as a peace officer.
To reflect the ethnic diversity of Los Angeles County, Baca said he particularly wants to see more Indians and Pakistanis, both women and men, join the reserves along with those from the other ethnic communities.
Recruiting more Sheriff's Deputies from within their community will be the primary responsibility of the reserve officers, as well as advising the sheriff on community issues and being on hand to lend their expertise "so that we can marry them up with our technical and service areas in our jail, our patrol stations and our courts," Baca said.
The reserve company, composed of 20 officers, will meet later this year. A captain will be selected at that time and the officers will then decided how often they will want to meet with Baca "and how they want to proceed integrating with the Sheriff's Department," he added.
Narendra Patel and Mahendra Patel are first cousins who were born in London, England. They both came to this country 22 years ago as students at Cal State Los Angeles, located directly across the 10 freeway from the sheriff's headquarters.
The 40-year old Narendra, who has five hotels in and around the LAX Airport and a hotel currently under construction in South Carolina, is the regional director for the Asian American Hotel Owners Association.
Narendra was a commissioner with the Los Angeles Private Industry Council when he first meet Baca, then a chief, and for several years volunteered to assist in the Sheriff Department's youth programs.
Narendra accepted Baca's offer to become a reserve officer, despite his busy schedule, because "I had opportunity to see what exactly police work is all about on a first-hand basis and at the same time help the community that we are a part of," he told India-West.
Mahendra, who is a year younger and has nine hotels throughout Los Angeles County, indicated to India-West that if Baca "can open a door and let people like me walk in, then I can turn around and help others in the community if they have any questions or concerns about the Sheriff's Department."
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 Intl. & NRI News |