With ten years at the Maple Grove Police Department, Detective Brad Holzerland knows the ins and outs of the city but was eager to learn more about public safety. As a result, he decided to work his through the public safety administration graduate program at Saint Mary’s University.

When a chance came up for he and his fellow classmates to go to Mexico City to see how law enforcement works in another country, he jumped at the chance.

“Many years ago, in high school, I was able to take a trip to Mexico City and stay with a host family as part of our Spanish class and it was a positive experience,” Holzerland said. He was eager to go back. 

This time around, Holzerland spent a week touring police facilities and talking with officers. He learned Mexican people have little trust in law enforcement.

“This mistrust stems from years of corruption in the police force,” he said. “Several stories were relayed about how officers on traffic stops would commonly expect bribes from citizens in lieu of receiving a citation.”

Holzerland, who is also a school liaison for Maple Grove Junior High School, believes this experience will help him as he works the streets at home. 

“This information will help make me a better officer because I will understand that when I deal with people of Mexican heritage, they may not always have immediate trust in the police," he said. "But my actions can help build that trust by demonstrating that members of the Maple Grove Police Department abide by the values of honesty, integrity, and professionalism; values void of corruption.”

While Mexico has made news headlines lately for its drug wars, Holzerland says that is just a small piece of law enforcement puzzle in Mexico.

“Mexico City is recognized as one of the safer big cities in the world. The population of the metropolitan area is about 22 million people, but yet the homicide rate is about 100 per year," he said. "New York City, a city with a population of over eight million people, had over 500 homicides in 2011.”

Holzerland was one of seven people to take the trip in November through Saint Mary’s University. The school is now trying to find grant money to bring a group of Mexican police officers to Minnesota for a similar experience.