PORT POLICE CHIEF STEALS THUNDER FROM REAL WORKERS

By Juan Montoya
By his own admission he says he doesn't have the resources to investigate a multiple drowning, apprehend undocumented immigrants or move in to snag drug runners trying to move drugs across the ship channel.
Yet, Port of Brownsville Police Chief Carlos Garcia, with only 18 employees – nine of them security guards – commands a $93,000 salary and a $800 monthly auto allowance, for a hefty total of $102,600 a year.
Garcia has now become the media darling of the local daily, featured in several front-page articles where he expounds on the success of the port in acquiring Homeland Security grants, including one to build a new command center.
There's no arguing that the Port's efforts to acquire grant funds from the Department of Homeland Security have since 2007 and have used them toward a number of security projects. Projects such as the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program; a wide-area surveillance system and lighting; threat assessment/exercise program/training community outreach; and to purchase a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department boat have been implemented with the grants.
In 2008, funding went to the Port-Wide Risk Management/Mitigation and Trade Resiliency/Resumption Plan; Remote monitoring and communications capabilities enhancement project; and high-mast lighting, and in 2012, funding went to access control infrastructure replacement and security, emergency response and monitoring/patrol capabilities enhancement project (personnel and response vehicles).”
But anyone who has ever applied for grants from the federal government knows that it is a tedious, time-consuming process that often results in a back-and-forth tweaking of the applications to suit the bureaucrats in Washington.

Garcia's first day on the Job was in January 3, 2012. At his hiring, Port Director and CEO Eddie Campirano said he was eager to begin working with Garcia.
“Carlos has the experience and track record to be successful as our new Chief of Police. He brings exceptional integrity, credibility, and professionalism to our police department. We are excited about the leadership qualities and the new direction that our Police Department can embark on,” said Campirano.
Now, apparently, Garcia is doubling as the port's public relations officer since Manny Ortiz left the Golden Ditch for greener pastures in Dallas.
At the time of his hiring, the port issued a press release that stated that the police force was "founded due to matters of national security after the events of September 11, 2001, the Port of Brownsville Police Department is responsible for protecting both commerce and the Port community. Over the years, the Port has received over $11 million in grant funds for enhancing and hardening Port security."
Yet, reading Garcia's comments in the Brownsville Herald, the casual reader would assume that he had been in the forefront of the efforts to secure the millions in grants already in the pipeline when he was named as the new chief.

For example, Garcia commented on the construction of the new command center scheduled for completion later this month with the full transition by the police force planned for completion by early October. It will be housed in an existing 8,800 square-foot building that was built in 1990 and is right next to the Port Administrative building. 

According to the newspaper, the port’s new police headquarters was critical,and the allotted funds will help fund not only the new police headquarters, but numerous improvements and programs for the port police.

The newspaper report indicated that since 2007 the port has received more than $11 million while matching less than $3 million of the Homeland Security funds locally.The the grant in fiscal year 2013, the port is set to receive nearly $750,000.
Garcia "definitely" agrees that grant money – the acquisition of which he has played no role – will make his "papita" job even easier.
“We are definitely moving to better secure the port than it has been in the past because the funding has been made available from the grant awarded since 2007 and definitely makes our job easier to safely secure the port from unauthorized personnel,” he said.
We don't remember hearing about Garcia landing grants from the Dept. of Homeland Security while he was head honcho at the BPD where he had more than 200 sworn officers which he left it to command the nine-person force which patrols 3,000 acres of developed port property from a total of 40,000 acres.
Radios, computers, onboard computers for cars, and data-sharing capabilities were already on line through grant applications filled out years before he came on board. If one is to give credit where credit is due – and despite all his shortcomings – former port chief George Gavito initiated most of them, including the video surveillance cameras now touted by Garcia.
We are told that besides Gavito, the people who actually worked at writing and acquiring the grants were none other than assistant port director Donna Eymard and grant writer Jon Sawicki, as well as the various port commissioners who worked closely with them.
Yet, none of these little people were interviewed for their perspective on the preparation and awarding of the funds by the federal government. Garcia, the new media star, was the featured talent.
"Even some of the port commissioners who were deeply involved in the preparation of the grants were left out for Garcia to take the limelight," said a source close to the port administration. "Some commissioners aren't pleased with Campirano for allowing Garcia to act as the spokesman for the port."