Less corruption reports by Hispanics, means more corruption by Police Officers

This blog will serve as my stage 7 blog for my Texas State and Local Government class.

This blog will be on the subject of Texas State Trooper Michael Higgins, and his recent arrest and sentencing. It was reported that Higgins had been stealing money during traffic stops from people who “appeared” Hispanic and were not fluent in English. Higgins received 4 years in prison and a fine totaling to $850, the same amount he stole on the traffic stops. Higgins thievery was finally stopped when he stole 2 marked $100 bills from an undercover officer posing as a limited English speaker. He was convicted by jury trial on 4 counts of violating the civil rights of drivers.

In a Department of Justice release on the subject, Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez said:

"The defendant abused the power granted to him as a law enforcement officer to prey upon unsuspecting motorists for personal gain. He violated not only the law, but also public trust. I commend the Department of Public Safety and the FBI for their thorough investigation."

Upon glancing at this article it appears to be about a corrupt Texas State Trooper who received “justice” for violating the rights of Hispanics. Justice has won…at least that’s the perception of the article. I do believe that justice has prevailed, because a corrupt police office is repugnant to his own title. It is also imperative to mention that he was targeting Hispanics with limited English skills. What does all of this talk really mean?

It breaks down to a few basic points that we have to consider:

The Trooper was Anglo
The typical victim was Hispanic
The typical victim could not speak English fluently
Historically, victimization of non-fluent English speakers goes under or unreported, citizen or not.
Mexican Law Enforcement is not viewed in Mexico as Law Enforcement is viewed in America.

When we understand those basics facts it leads to another conclusion for me. Primarily is raises my concern that this sort of activity would not be reported by its victims. Citizen or not, it is an inherent right to be secure in oneself and your property. It would seem simple enough to those of us in the United States to simply report a crime, however in Mexico it may not be this simple. It is a known fact that a high percentage of corrupt police officers exist in Mexico. Mexican immigrants may take this “corrupt police” mentality across the border and apply it to American Law Enforcement, combined with opportunists like Trooper Higgins, this is a volatile mixture. This mixture could cause violence against law enforcement by immigrant groups that do not understand any other avenue of action against a perceived “corrupt” police officer besides direct violent resistance and/or evasion. This issue also could be seen through the eyes of some Anglos as a strike against a white police officer. These groups may allege it was all set up by “higher powers” and cause animosity towards Hispanic Americans, possibly resulting in violent actions towards Hispanics.

Whichever way you slice the pie, this is an issue that is in direct relation to illegal immigration and its effects on Texans. Even if every Hispanic stopped by Trooper Higgins was a legal American citizen, they did not speak English well, and this alone is a MASSIVE issue to border protectionists and thereby could cause anti-Hispanic sentiments and actions. It may be seen as yet another reason to “send them back”. At the very least, this issue could cause less sympathy for the Hispanic victims of Trooper Higgins and fizzle out, leaving more room for far more corruption of police officers. We should all, regardless of bias, recognize that it is not ok for anyone to be victimized by police. We should also recognize that this is no reason for police to be victimized by us. After all…can’t we all just get along?!