WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — After Monday night, the Hispanic and Latino community in Warner Robins is feeling a little more comfortable in the International City.
The police department held a special town hall to mend the relationship between the department and some of the people they serve.
"You're a significant part of our community that we embrace and we're proud of. You're part of what makes us special in the community," Police Chief Wayne Fisher said to attendees. "We don't want you feeling as if you're an outsider to it."
During the meeting, members of the Latino community spoke about some of their concerns.
"The distrust of law enforcement is real," Gabriella Machain Gilner told Warner Robins leaders.
As people spoke, it was evident that the hearts of the Latino community in Warner Robins were filled with worries.
"I feel afraid for what's gonna happen for the community," Luis Montesoca said
He is a business owner and says the majority of his customers are Hispanic.
"I really appreciate the community of Warner Robins to have me as a resident for 23 years," he said. "I'm happy to live here."
However, for him and others to feel comfortable moving forward, there were some things they needed to address.
They asked about the impacts of state House Bill 1105. The bill requires law enforcement to verify immigration information for those who've been arrested.
"The focus is not onto the victim, the focus is on the bad actor of the crime," Fisher said.
Fisher reassured people that it does not give officers the right to discriminate against anyone. He said no one will ever directly be asked to prove their citizenship status to his deputies.
However, during interactions with officers, whether you're the victim or the criminal, you will likely be asked to present a personal I.D. such as a driver's license. He said that these ID's don't always have to be from Georgia.
He also said that officers are also able to look you up in their system to see if you have a drivers license.
Fisher also discussed their anti-discrimination policies, and read the House Bill out loud for visitor.
As hands shot up with questions, the room grew more comfortable
"They wanna try to help as much as they can,"Montesoca said.
Gilner said it could help if more officers came out to community events to make personal relationships with the community.
"I think that would help to alleviate the lack of trust," she said.
The community was able to form connections on Monday, as Spanish-speaking officers answered questions at the meeting.
Detective Juan Garcia says the Hispanic community underreports crimes and he hopes Monday's meeting can help change that.
"If they become victims of crimes or they are a witness, they come forward and assist us in being able to bring justice to, to people that have been victimized," he said.
He said he was happy to see the full attendance, and be able to represent his community.
"One of the reasons I wanted to be a police officer, was to be able to help the Hispanic community. That's a good satisfaction for myself as an accomplishment, but also helping the community is very important," Garcia said.
Fisher also said they now have someone in every department that can speak Spanish to help with the language barrier. He added nearly 6% percent of the police department staff is of Hispanic decent.