WILL IT BE ABEL GOMEZ AND PETE AVILA IN RUNOFF FOR CONSTABLE PCT. 2?

By Juan Montoya
There are four candidates running for the Pct. 2 Constable position in this year's Democratic primary.
Each, of course, has his own constituency consisting of family friends and fellow lawmen. And each is hoping there will be enough support out there to warrant them getting into a runoff, the most likely result after the votes are cast this May 29.
The incumbent in this race is Pedro 'Pete Avila," who defeated Gomez in a runoff four years ago after the two were left standing in that year's primary. Yet, that runoff was decided with a difference of only 51 votes. Gomez served as Constable from 2005 to 2008.
But there is also Juan Torres, who touts his 25 years as a lawman as an enticement to voters. Roel Arreola, another lawman, was also employed at one time with the Cameron County Sheriff's Department.
But the pols are betting that the number of votes pulled by these two candidates will result in another showdown between Gomez and Avila.
Avila, who spent more than two decades as a Brownsville Fire Department firefighter, is hoping that his four years at the helm of the constable's position has endeared him to the voters and the residents of the precinct, a large area that encompasses most of Brownsville. He is also counting on the fact that the security at the courthouse has been placed under his office, increasing his staff from four deputies to 16.
Recently, the incumbent, obviously feeling his oats, vowed to take the election outright in the primary.
"There won't have to be a runoff," he said confidently as he took a running start to alight on his service pickup. "I'm going to save the county money."
Still, courthouse security under him remains an issue following a consultant's report that pointed out some shortcomings in the courthouse security including a lack of walking patrols in the parking lot, unrestricted access through the rear of the building and roving patrols inside the courts with little oversight.
Avila pointed out that those issues had been in existence before he took over the courthouse security and that most had been addressed before the report was issued.
"They interviewed Raymond Shears, who used to be in charge of the bailiffs before and later was terminated," he said.
Shears claimed that Avila was out to get him and others including Joe Cisneros, a candidate for sheriff, at the request of Omar Lucio. Cisneros was also terminated during his first year of the probationary period as a deputy constable under Avila, ostensibly for campaigning on county time, but Avila has hinted that there were other issues that were not revealed out of courtesy from one lawman to another.
Gomez, on the other hand, says that voters will remember that as constable he expanded the duties of the office and first opened the Cameron Park substation and assigned officers to work full time, created a patrol division increase residents' protection, an Investigative and K-9 Unit at no cost to taxpayers and created a major crimes group to provide additional revenue for department use.
He also said that he created a forfeiture account and used money seized by major crimes group to provide deputies equipment and training to enhance their professionalism.
He also created a warrant division to assist the county clerks office in serving all county court warrants and collecting fines & court costs which created additional revenue.
Avila, on the other hand, counters that some of the improvements by Gomez are not the duties of a constable and said he will stay within the requirements of a Constable by the Texas Constitution.
There is no question that as the election continues, both candidates will tout their credentials and hope the voters opt for their services. Gomez lists a long string of certifications in his campaign literature and website, including numerous seminars on law-enforcement related instruction such as:
*School Open Meeting Act Certified
*Certification Traffic Radar Instructor
*Property and Evidence Technician Public Information Act Certificate
* Certified TCLOSE Instructor Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Certified
*Firearms Instructor
* Enforcing Elections Code Certificate
*Cultural Diversity Instructor
*Expandable Baton Certified
*Arrest Search and seizure Instructor Managing Criminal Investigation

*Certified Racial Profiling

*Instructor Gang Awareness Course
*Racial profiling Instructor and Gun Trafficking to Mexican Cartel Course, Special Investigative Topics, and Interview & Interrogation, among others
He points to his experience as a Special Investigator DA’s Office, Special Operation Group, court bailiff , 357th District Court Officer, County Warrant Officer, County Park Police Patrol, Cameron Sheriff Deputy , and High Crimes Unit Drug Drug Interdiction Unit membership to buttress his candidacy.
"I think I'm just a better candidate than Pete," Gomez said recently. "Last time my people got over confident. This time we won't make the same mistake. If people compare my qualifications, I hope they will see that I'm the better candidate."
"I'm going to win it without a runoff," Avila countered.