With Durham's burgeoning Latino community now 7 to 8 percent of the city's total population, Mayor Bill Bell is pushing the city's Hispanic Outreach Initiative as a renewed attempt to address Latinos' increasing needs.
Spearheaded by Bell since last September, the initiative has entered a new phase of vitality in the past three months. Bell said he has met with his staff on a daily basis to develop a comprehensive approach to addressing the needs of Durham's Latino population, primarily the "large incidence of crimes against the Latino-Hispanic community."
One of the city's means of reaching out to the Latino community has been recreational venues, particularly public soccer fields. On Nov. 17, Durham Police Chief Steve Chalmers and other members of the Durham Police Department participated in an exhibition soccer game with coaches from the Latin American Soccer League. Two hundred fifty spectators attended the game and paid the $2 admission fee.
Chalmers said such community interaction can be a means of exchanging ideas and enhancing the safety of all Durham residents. "This is something we wanted to build on," Chalmers said.
The city's outreach attempts have gone far beyond the soccer field. Approximately 35 members of the Latin American Soccer League attended a meeting Jan. 15 at Durham Police Substation 1 to discuss issues important to the Latino community. In addition, a check of $500 raised from the Nov. 17 exhibition game was presented to Durham County SAFEKIDS, a child safety advocacy organization.
Throughout the meeting, attendees introduced a broad range of topics. With Officer H.L. Borges serving as a Spanish interpreter, Latino citizens' concerns ranged from maintenance and lighting at local soccer fields to difficulty in opening bank accounts.
Most Durham Latinos who attended the meeting viewed the Hispanic Outreach Initiative as a step in the right direction.
"This is the beginning of something," said Orlando Vasquez, a Durham resident since 1992.
High-ranking members of the municipal government, including Chalmers and City Manager Marcia Conner, fielded many of the questions.
Chalmers said that, through the Hispanic Outreach Initiative, officials plan to "identify those who can take a leadership role within the Hispanic community.... [and empower] our community to be more involved in addressing their quality of life issues... not just crime, but issues of recreation."
Conner deemed the meeting a success, but described the event as "just another effort in terms of outreach."
Latino residents in attendance were encouraged to present their grievances to City Council, specifically at a budget meeting slated for Feb. 3 at 7 p.m.
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