Ensenada and Riverside Tighten Sister Cities Relationship
text by connie ellig
first published in baja times newspaper

In 1976 the City of Riverside created a sister city relationship with Ensenada. It is among the oldest of Riverside’s international relationships. Through the years, Riverside has donated a large quantity of surplus equipment and vehicles to the City of Ensenada including traffic lighting equipment, police uniforms, fire engines and Rescue Squad vehicles. Sister Cities International, the Washington, D.C.-based coordinator of sister cities programs, recognized this relationship with the 2004 Innovation Award for Municipal Cooperation.

At its March 15 meeting, the Riverside City Council had approved the transfer to Ensenada of three surplus vehicles: a large 1992 White-GMC 10-cubic yard loader, a smaller 1986 Iveco six cubic yard packer, and a1987 Ford F-350 with a lift. The three trash management vehicles were formally transferred on April 22, 2005 at a ceremony held at the Riverside City Hall. Mayor Mancillas personally received the trucks from Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge and representatives of three private companies – Athens Services, Inc., Burrtec Waste Industries Inc. and CR&R, Inc. – that donated additional trucks to Ensenada. The combined contribution significantly boosts Ensenada’s capacity to serve its half-million population since up to half of the Mexican city’s aging fleet of 22 vehicles may become inoperable at any given time.

“It is very important for us to receive support like you graciously provide today, so we can offer more and better services to our people,” Mayor Mancillas stated in what he said was his first speech in English. He also presented Mayor Loveridge with a plaque in recognition of cooperative efforts between the two cities.

“It is an honor to witness this truly remarkable exchange, watching sister cities support each other and share solutions,” declared Carlos I. Giralt, Consul-General of Mexico in San Bernardino.

Cooperation between police departments was the early foundation of the Riverside-Ensenada sister city relationship. Over the years, the Riverside Police Department has provided numerous training programs for Ensenada officers. During meetings with Riverside Mayor Loveridge and Police Chief Russ Leach, Mayor Mancillas and Manuel Nava Valles, Chief of Traffic and Transportation Police, identified police training assistance as a top priority. Mayor Loveridge immediately coordinated with Police Chief Leach to schedule the requested training as soon as possible in order to provide maximum benefit to the police officers and people of Ensenada.

On April 11-14, four Transportation and Traffic police officers from Ensenada went to Riverside for Accident Scene Investigation training with the Riverside Police Department. Ensenada officers Jesus Luma, Miguel Cedano, Ivan Ojeda and Francisco Reyes took part in classroom and field exercises that included topics like skid mark analysis, evidence collection, accident scene documentation, computer diagramming and investigation of drunk driving. Mayor Loveridge, Police Chief Leach and members of the Riverside City Council presented graduation certificates to the officers at a ceremony that was hosted by City Councilman Frank Schiavone.

The Accident Scene Investigation training in April followed an earlier successful SWAT Team training for twelve Ensenada tactical officers who trained with the Riverside Police Metro Team from February 21-24, 2005.

Mayor Ron Loveridge called the training programs “a truly extraordinary exchange of professionals” working together to improve public service and safety in both cities. Both Riverside and Ensenada can take great pride in expanding their relationship as they carry out the mission of Sister Cities International, which is to “Promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time.”

Special thanks are extended to Steve Frasher, Assistant to Mayor Ron Loveridge, for providing photos and assistance with this article.
 
 

Ensenada Mayor César Mancillas, Communication Director Francisco Vargas and the mayor's private secretary, Dr. Jorge Saenz, look at a presentation book documenting the Riverside donation and other 2005 sister cities projects with Steven Frasher, Assistant to Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge.

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