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78R17613 KMP-F
By: Alonzo H.R. No. 108
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, In January 2002, the police departments of the
cities of Dallas and Fort Worth joined together to launch the
"Communities Banking for Safety: Seguridad Bancaria" program to
protect Texans of Hispanic descent from robberies and residential
burglaries; the pronounced success of this program led the
Arlington Police Department to follow suit in November of that same
year; and
WHEREAS, Working in conjunction with the staff of the Mexican
Consulate, these forward-thinking police departments have truly
taken the initiative in our state's fight against crime; studies
indicate that Hispanic residents are more likely than Texans of any
other ethnic group to fall victim to crimes involving monetary
theft, possibly due to a tendency to carry large sums of cash
resulting from obstacles faced by individuals seeking to open bank
accounts without traditionally accepted forms of identification;
and
WHEREAS, The Seguridad Bancaria program combats these
dangers by providing information on crime prevention and financial
safety and, in collaboration with many leading banks and financial
service companies, has already helped to lessen the incidence of
theft within the Hispanic community; among the organizations that
have joined forces with the Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington
police departments in this significant effort are Univision, the
Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Fort Worth
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Dallas District of the U.S.
Immigration and Naturalization Service; and
WHEREAS, The program has also won more widespread acceptance
in the community for the Mexican Consulate's identification card,
the Matricula Consular, an official form of documentation that has
helped Mexican nationals who live in Texas to open bank accounts,
apply for power and water services, participate in city programs,
and establish a strong and secure financial foundation for their
families; and
WHEREAS, By allowing individuals with forms of
nontraditional identification, such as the Matricula Consular, to
open bank accounts and by providing Hispanics with other important
information, the entities involved in the Seguridad Bancaria
program are promoting not only greater safety among these valued
members of the Lone Star community, but greater economic
opportunity as well, and the many outstanding Texans associated
with the program are indeed worthy of special recognition for the
creativity and commitment they have brought to bear on a
significant crime problem in our state; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas
Legislature hereby commend all those who have made the Seguridad
Bancaria program a resounding success in the prevention of crime in
the communities of Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared
for the police departments of Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington as
an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.