Wisconsin lawmakers push to eliminate citizen requirement for police officers

Wisconsin lawmakers push to eliminate citizen requirement for police officers

COULDCONTRIBUTE.... TO AMORE DIVERSIFIEDPOLICE FORCE..NBC 26'S ERICCREST SHARES THESTORY OF HOW AGREEN BAY MAN...WHO WAS BORN INMEXICO... HASINSPIRED STATEREPRESENTATIVES TOGET HIM A JOB... WITHTHE GREEN BAYPOLICE DEPARTMENT.FOR FIVE YEARS NOWJOSE DEL RIO HASHELD VARIOUS JOBSAT THE GREEN BAYPOLICEDEPARTMENT...BUTBECAUSE HE WASBORN IN MEXICO...AND BROUGHT TOWISCONSIN ILLEGALLYAS A TWO YEAR OLD...HE'S NOT ELGIBLE TOBECOME ANOFFICER... OR ASHERIFF'S DEPUTY...DEL RIO- "YOU KNOW IKEPT SAYING I AM NOTGONNA LET THIS STOPME.

IM GOING TO KEEPPUSHING FORWARDAND KEEP BEING THEVOICE OF OTHERINDIVIDUALS THATMAYBE DON'T HAVETHE OPPORTUNITIES IDO."ON WEDNESDAY TWOREPUBLICANLAWMAKERS FROMBROWN COUNTYAIMED TO CHANGEDEL RIO'S FUTURE....BY INTRODUCINGLEGISLATION THATWOULD ALLOWDREAMERS LIKEJOSE... ANOPPORTUNITY TOPERSUE A CAREER ASAN OFFICER...STEFFEN- "THIS ISTYPICALLY WHERETHE BESTLEGISLATION STARTS.IT STARTS WITH THECOMMUNITY, WITHLOCAL LEADERS."MACCO "THIS IS NOT AMANDATORY THINGACROSS THE STATE.

ITALLOWS VARIOUSJURISDICTIONS TOMAKE THATDECISION."ULTIMATELY THE GOALOF THIS PIECE OFLEGISLATION.... IS TODIVERSIFY THEPOLICE FORCE... ANDALLOW PEOPLE WHOGREW UP IN THE U-S...THE CHANCE TOSERVE THECOMMUNITY... THEYCALL HOME..."THIS IS ANOPPORTUNITY NOTFOR RIGHT OR LEFT,REPUBLICAN ORDEMOCRAT, THIS IS ANOPPORTUNITY TO FIXSOMETHING THAT'SNOT RIGHT HERE INWISCONSIN."CHIEF ANDREW SMITHOF THE GREEN BAYPOLICE DEPARTMENTSAYS HE WOULD JUMPAT THE OPPORTUNITYTO HIRE DEL RIO... AYOUNG MAN WHO ISNOT ONLY BILINGUAL... BUT HASBEEN PERSUING ACAREER IN LAWENFORCEMENT... FORALL OF THE RIGHTREASONS..."THIS IS A GREATOPPORTUNITY FOR USTO DIVERSIFY OURDEPARTMENT, TOBECOME MOREREPRESENTATIVE OFTHE COMMUNITY WESERVE AND ALLOWYOUNG PEOPLE LIKETHIS TO FULFILL THEDREAMS THAT THEYHAVE OF SERVINGTHE COMMUNITY THATTHEY GREW UP IN."THE LEGISLATION HASALREADY GARNEREDBI-PARTISAN SUPPORTIN MADISION... ANDDEL RIO HOPES... HISDREAM OF BECOMINGA GREEN BAYOFFICER.... CAN COMETO FRUITION..."WE CAN CREATE THECHANGE THAT WENEED TO FIX THESEBROKENFOUNDATIONS WITHOUR COMMUNITIES."IN GREEN BAY ERICCREST... NBC26STILL AHEAD AT SIX...IT'S THE GIFT OFGIVING...