Brownsville Police Chief Felix Sauceda held his first-ever State of the Police Department address Thursday providing the community with information on the latest technologies the department uses to fight crime.
Also, during Thursday’ presentation, Sauceda recognized officers Erik Balboa, Erick Amaro, Federico Jaramillo and Gilberto Hernandez who risked their lives by rescuing two men from a burning vehicle.
The State of the Police Department was held at the Brownsville Event Center, and in attendance included law enforcement officers, elected officials and others, who were provided with opportunity to witness the rescue, as it was played on screen for all to watch.
They were able to hear the men trapped in the burning vehicle yelling for help and watch the officers doing everything they could to rescue them.
In addressing the audience, Sauceda said the department was forced to change the way it offered it services to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike other agencies, the department could not shutdown or close its doors until the pandemic passed.
“In our industry, we don’t have the ability to say let’s shut down today and we will resume when we figure all of this out,” Sauceda said.
The department was quick to provide the necessary personal protective equipment to keep the officers safe as they continued police patrols and dealing with the public.
A video presentation revealed how the police department has revolved over the years providing officers with up-to-date firearms such as Tasers, drones, a police dispatch system, and other items needed to keep this city of more than 187,000 safe.
Brownsville is the largest city in the Rio Grande Valley and covers nearly 150 square miles and has some 350 paved streets. It has been recognized as the 16th safest state in the United States, according to SmartAsset.
Mayor Trey Mendez also addressed the crowd stating that one of the things Sauceda has been able to do is to bring together all law enforcement agencies in the area to work together as a team and for the community.
Mendez said when he first met Sauceda, “The chief was all about data, analytics, community policing and doing the best possible job with all the resources he had. At that point I was certainly impressed with his leadership, and I felt that he epitomized what leadership is, bringing the force with him, getting the department behind him, and bringing everybody together.”
City Manager Helen Ramirez, the city’s female city manager, said she was on Sauceda’s interview and saw someone who had hunger to want to keep the city safe.
“Thank you chief Sauceda and all our Brownsville Police Department, for allowing us to breath, to raise our families, to have successful businesses in a safe and growing, one city community on the border, by the sea and beyond,” Ramirez said.
