Fearful Immigrants Can Sound Off About Police

Immigrants visit the Mexican Consulate in San Jose to get their visas and other documents in order. It's also where many come to talk about their encounters with police and get information on where they can take any of their complaints.

"Obviously we are a minority still here. It's how we've been treated, and a lot of people are getting mistreated by cops," said Juan Macias as he waited in line to get his Mexican I.D. card.

The Consulate said in many cases, immigrants are fearful of reporting crimes or of turning in rogue cops.

"The immigrant community is not only fearful sometimes of police," said Pedro Espinosa, the Consulate's head of legal affairs, "It's fearful of all the authorities, in particular of police because they have the uniform." 

So if they won't go to her, LaDoris Cordell is going to them.

Cordell is San Jose's Independent Police Auditor.

Her office audits the investigations that are conducted by the internal affairs of the SJPD. 

Next week, Cordell will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Consulate, allowing her to send a staff member once a month to the facility, to hear immigrant concerns.

"This is unprecedented. It is very significant," said Cordell. "Talk is fine. But talk is not enough. We need to take action. We've had our talking, and now we're doing the walking."

"I think it's great," said Macias. "I'm looking forward to have that in our consulate."

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