Laredo Police Chief Carlos Maldonado, during a noon speech at the Kiwanis Club held at the Holiday Inn Civic Center on Tuesday, said he's trying to invoke a spirit of change within the police department.
One of Maldonado's ideas includes marketing the city through LPD officers.
"Why not be courteous when stopping someone for a traffic infraction," Maldonado said. "Take time to talk with them, try and listen to what's going on at that time. What better way to market a city than through its police officers."
From a business perspective, this could be a win-win situation.
Say a Laredo resident or visitor is pulled over for some reason. An LPD officer gets out of his car or off his motorcycle, approaches the driver and begins a conversation ... while still doing his job.
When finished, that person -- should the interaction be a courteous one -- could take away a different view of not only LPD itself but the city, too.
Business leaders are so desirous of new companies and more jobs entering this more-than-200,000 populated city. This could work.
Change is difficult and, yes, hard to grasp. Give the chief this much: He's making an effort and, as a non-Laredoan in his role, tackling tough issues.
Here's hoping Maldonado and his ideas are given time to work in Laredo.
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