BY DONNA SWICEGOOD
The tacos were the big draw at the Statesville Depot on Thursday, but providing lunch for Statesville Police Department employees wasn’t the only thing that motivated the organizers.
A group of local pastors and members of their congregations served lunch to SPD officers and non-sworn employees with the aim of strengthening the bond between the SPD and the area’s Hispanic communities.
Herbert Vanegas, the bilingual community liaison for Iredell-Statesville Schools, said organizers also wanted to show the SPD appreciation for their service.
The idea for the get-together was born during a regular monthly meeting of the pastors.
“It’s about building bridges in the community,” Vanegas explained.
The group held a similar luncheon for the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office and wanted to do the same for the SPD.
Under temperatures inching into the upper 90s by noon Thursday, the church members cooked the meat for the tacos and them served them to the packed meeting room at the Depot.
Vanegas said many of those helping out Thursday were teens or younger. “We want to involve them in the whole process,” he said.
The luncheons allow the young people to interact with police officers in a positive setting.
Vanegas said the luncheons with law enforcement have proven to be a success, and everyone involved enjoys the interaction.
SPD Chief David Onley agreed. “It’s great support for the police department,” he said.
Several of the officers thanked and shook hands with the pastors and members of their congregations as they left the luncheon to head back out on duty
Both Vanegas and Onley said with the current situation involving the roundup of suspected undocumented immigrants by federal law enforcement agencies, positive interactions between the two groups is a plus.
“It lets the officers know we appreciate them and are praying for their safety,” Vanegas said.
Onley added that increased communication and interaction between the Hispanic community and law enforcement can help ease fears.
Vanegas said these luncheons fill more than just hunger – the luncheons help create a lasting bond.
The plan is to make the luncheon a yearly event. “We want to make it bigger and better,” Vanegas said.