Cameron County Parks Police are to be reinstated but it may not be the solution we were looking for...
This past Thursday, the Cameron County Commissioners Court had on their agenda an item to bring back the Cameron County Parks Rangers/Police which the Surfrider Foundation has been an advocate for since their disbanding back in 2009. We have believed that since the handing over of the Parks Police duties to the Cameron County Precinct 1 Constable Department, Cameron County Beach Parks conditions have deteriorated, especially in the litter department. The lack of enforcement presence has led to a much larger litter problem on the County Beaches except on Beach Accesses #5 and #6 where the Cash for Trash Program had been implemented. A lot of this had been do to the current Precinct 1 Constable Horacio Zamora's lack of will in embracing procedures to enforce litter laws and write tickets. The item passed and the Parks Police are to be reinstated.
This past November, we were encouraged to see a new Constable elected in Pedro "Pete" Delgadillo who had personally sought out beach stakeholders and informed them of his desire to curb the tide in littering in Isla Blanca Park and other County Beach Parks. Delgadillo won a very tight race that he initially lost by a few votes and then won by a very narrow margin of 7 votes in a recount that he had requested. Incumbent Constable Zamora did not request a second recount. Why?
It turns out that he knew he may still have a job if the Commissioners Court reinstated the Parks Police. According to Judge Carlos Cascos, whom I talked to on Friday and voted against the item, there is a "let's get this done right now" mentality in regard to getting the Parks Police back by Commissioner Sofia Benavides who's district includes the beaches of Cameron County. This should have been a good development and I would normally support this but why not wait until after Pete Delgadillo, who supports litter enforcement in the parks, takes office on January 1, 2013?
Apparently it may have to do with the fact that, according to Judge Cascos, someone has promised the now ex-Constable Zamora that he would be named the new Cameron County Parks Police Chief. So the individual that beach goers and users had lost confidence in in keeping their beaches clean will now be the man in charge of the beaches and law enforcement on them? This can not stand.
I find it odd that Commissioner Benavides did not contact any of the stakeholders that she knew cared about this issue, including the Surfrider Foundation, Friends of Isla Blanca or the Respete Tu Playa Group.
I personally want the Parks Police back in the Cameron County Beach Parks as I believe the consistent presence they could provide is better that the sporadic presence than the Constables provided, but the way this is shaping up, it will make it harder for the community to support now. The Commissioners Court and more specifically, Commissioner Benavides needs to wait until Constable-elect Delgadillo takes office and then include him and the beach stakeholders in the development of the Parks Police reinstatement or this is doomed to fail before it even gets started.
Please contact Commissioner Benavides and ask her to reconsider the decision to place Horacio Zamora as the Nee Cameron County Parks Police Chief at sofia.benavides@co.cameron.tx.us or at 956-574-8167
Another example of politicos taking care of each other. The local Dumbokrats reverse themselves to protect their compadres. Appointing someone as head of the Parks Police, a man who refused to enforce litter laws as a constable, surely lets us know where the Commissioners stand on litter and cleaning up the county. The Dumbokrats in office, including the sheriff have made it clear that they give "special consideration" to those who vote for them and volunteer for their campaigns. This "special treatment" for politicos and the general "probrecito" mentality in the county, means that few tickets are written. Out of staters, Anglos, and Republicans can count on being ticketed, while Dumbokrats are free to trash the county. What a third world county!
ReplyDeleteWhat new dept. will they conjure up for Pete Avila?
ReplyDeleteThe new Chief needs to have a non-bias repore with a I dont care who you are related to mentality. Someone whom the Feds trust and can work hand in hand. Lots of illegal operations going on at the Island Beaches. A friend of mine whom works for CBP Air & Marine can not trust the local depts.SAD....look at Hidalgo....
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