NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A groundbreaking for the new Metro Police Southeast Precinct took place last May. The precinct will be located in Antioch off of Murfreesboro Pike.
At the helm of the precinct will be commander Carlos Lara.
"You know, we just wanted some place inviting," he said. "Some place that people can feel comfortable going to."
Lara was promoted to the position in May, making him the first Latino commander in the department's history. He will oversee more than 100 personnel at the precinct.
"It's going to have a great area outside where people can just relax, it's going to have an area where kids can play in, a little field area where you can play soccer, do whatever you want to do, have picnics," said Lara.
While construction has been slow-going, Lara said he's spent years laying a foundation.
"When I was in the office of community outreach and partnerships we connected with a lot of those communities and community leaders in that area specifically because that was one of the most diverse areas," he said.
The Boston native recalls joining the force 15 years ago when he was only one of a handful of police who spoke Spanish.
"A lot of times we couldn't get a good investigation because we couldn't communicate those facts and those things that we really needed to know, because we couldn't communicate because of the language," said Lara.
Now, as the Hispanic community has grown, so has representation on the force.
"Diversity is not the only thing, it's not the most important thing, but I think it's a key component of us being able to serve the people around us," said Lara.
With construction set to begin, Lara looks forward to leading the new precinct in an area he's spent years serving.
"To see all the cultures and nationalities come together and to be able to have them under that same precinct, to be able to just work with all of them together — I love that," he said. "I love to connect with people. So I'm excited to see how we can serve them all together."
