Baca Seeks Closer Ties to South Asian Community

Saying he wants to reach out to the county’s quarter-million South Asian residents, Sheriff Lee Baca announced Tuesday that he is forming an advisory council to improve relations between law enforcement and that growing community.

The council, led by community member Irshad Haque, will advise the Sheriff’s Department on issues of concern to South Asian residents and help Baca recruit South Asian deputies.

The South Asian community includes residents from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

“It is my goal to bridge these communities, and especially the non-English speaking communities, with the Sheriff’s Department,” Baca said at a news conference, accompanied by a dozen members of the council.

Baca said South Asian small-business owners are victimized by white-collar crime and robberies and need to have better contact with his department. “It’s important that the community assist me in recognizing the fear . . . in the community,” he said.

Haque, who will chair the new council, said he applauds Baca for reaching out to the community and pledged that the group will address any problems that arise between the department and the South Asian community.