This spring, 16 visitors from Mexico came to Pensacola on a Police Professionalization Exchange Program for Mexico, a program of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs which aims to provide professional development and training to 4,000 law enforcement professionals, police officials, and other professionals from Mexico over a three year span. The 16 who spent time in Florida focused on the prevention of gender based violence.
The group spent time at the University of West Florida (UWF) where they meet with Dr. Richard Hough, an instructor who has also worked as a police officer, a homicide detective, a sergeant, a lieutenant, a captain, a deputy chief, and a corrections administrator. Dr. Hough has directed law enforcement and correctional academies while teaching police defensive tactics, human and cultural diversity, violent crimes investigation, and many other topics for over twenty years. The group’s meeting at UWF explored common challenges and led to a conversation at the Escambia County’s Sheriff’s Office with Chief Deputy Chip Simmons and Captain Tom Greer on practical issues surrounding domestic violence calls.
The focus of the Mexicans’ time at the Gulf Coast Kid’s House was on the model this nonprofit uses to provide a community based approach to advocacy, legal help, and social services for abused children. Their time here provided a look at this kid-friendly space where child protection services, law enforcement, prosecution, medical, and mental health professionals are able to work together in an environment which is less intimidating for victims. Leslie Donovan, Kirsten Busey, Sergeant Dawn James, and other team members provided excellent information on their program.
On their second day in town, the visitors met with Lieutenant Steve Cappas, Domestic Abuse Professionals Sue Hand and Marsha Travis of FAVORHouse (Family Anti Violence through an Organized Response) and Fred Sulzbach of Clearview Education to discuss shelters, court-ordered education programs, and consequences of violence in the home. The group explored power, control, and services for victims at this sobering appointment.
Chief Judge Linda Nobles and Judge Thomas Dannheisser met the group at the First Judicial Circuit Court of Florida along with Victim’s Advocate Blaine Lukkar, State Attorney Jack LoBianco, Domestic Violence Case Coordinator Salandrae Soles, and Domestic Violence Case Coordinator Shaquita Jackson. In this conversation, the group gained a clearer understanding of the role of the court in Florida in protecting the victims of gender violence.
The group’s final appointment was at the crime lab of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) where they met Chief of Forensic Services Mary Jean Havener and Assistant Special Agent in Charge and Certified Computer Forensic Examiner Eric Daniel. The FDLE lab provides timely, expert, and professional examination of evidentiary materials to aid in the investigation, prosecution and/or exclusion of criminal offenses by utilizing sophisticated scientific equipment and proven techniques. This appointment highlighted the importance of the work done in forensic labs.
The Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council thanks everyone who contributed to this project and extends a special thank you to Pensacola City Council Executive Don Kraher who welcomed them to the region with certificates of honorary citizenship from Mayor Ashton Hayward.
