Jaden Hawkins
East Lansing City Councilmen Noel Garcia Jr. at the Feb. 7 council meeting in the Hannah Center.Former East Lansing Police Lt. Noel Garcia Jr. was appointed to fill an opening on the East Lansing City Council in January. His election came at an important time as the conversation on public safety has had growing concerns.
On Jan. 19, a firearm allegedly fell out of a student’s backpack at East Lansing High School. A few days later, on Jan. 24, students went into lockdown after a gun threat on campus. Later that night, Councilman Garcia was sworn into office.
Garcia was born and raised in the Lansing area. He is an educator, coach, father and the first Hispanic city council member in East Lansing. Working in law enforcement for over 25 years, he said he represents more than his public safety background but is a voice for the diverse community he serves.
Mayor Ron Bacon said Garcia brings “a unique background” to his position.
“He has two boys in high school,” Mayor Bacon said. “It’s good to have parents on the board. [They] have a different perspective.”
“The ‘father’ in me kicks in before ‘councilman’ … [But,] it didn’t take long for me to put on my ‘city council hat’ and start working on solutions,” Garcia said. “I made a conscious effort in my mind: Yes, you’re a parent. But, now you’re in a different role. Now, [complaining] stops. As a parent, we already know there’s a problem. Now, it’s how are we going to fix this? How are we going to make improvements?”
Garcia said his children have seen progress in the schools since the school/public safety listening session on Jan. 24. He said his children told him that teachers have been monitoring the hallways and bathrooms, which has made students feel safer.
However, according to Garcia, the conversation on public safety has just begun, and until change makes headway, it is still ongoing.