In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15-October 15, Fort Bend County Libraries will host an online presentation of “HPD’s Chicano Squad” on Thursday, September 16, beginning at 3:00 pm. The program will be presented live via Webex, so that it can be viewed from home.
Dr. Natalie Garza, a professor of U.S. History and Mexican American Studies at Houston Community College, will talk about the Houston Police Department’s Chicano Squad, which was formed in 1979. The group consisted of a small group of Spanish-speaking patrol officers who were trained to serve as translators in the field, helping the police department to close the growing number of unsolved crimes in Houston’s barrios.
The group cleared 40 homicides by the end of 1979. The officers earned recognition by the National Latino Peace Officers Association in 1997, after solving 91% of the cases they had been assigned.
A professor of humanities at Houston Community College, Dr. Garza has a doctorate degree in history, with a focus on Latin American and Mexican American history.
For those who are unable to participate in the live Webex session, the presentation will be recorded, and a link to the recording will be made available on the FBCL website and YouTube channel.
The program is free and open to the public. Registration is required. A link to view the presentation online will be emailed to all participants who register. To register online at the library’s website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on “Classes & Events,” select “Virtual Programs,” and find the program. Participants may also register by calling the library system’s Communications Office at 281-633-4734.