Bridges Digital Archive: Audio and Video Recordings

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Document Type

Oral History

Publication Date

8-27-2015

Abstract

Ratibu Jacocks interviews Joseph Paulino, a man with a long history in education, law enforcement, and community action. Paulino began the recording by mentioning his childhood, living in Belize and then migrating to Los Angeles when he was around eight years old. When he was older, he moved within the Inland Empire and then specifically to San Bernardino. After high school, he enlisted in the military while studying to earn degrees. Paulino is a man of many degrees, going to multiple colleges and even entering the FBI Academy through the University of Virginia. His memories of his family included his siblings, his mother a preschool teacher, his father a machinist, and his grandfather a man who traveled. The latter built schools for the indigenous Q’eqchi’ communities in Belize. As someone who spent most of his youth in Los Angeles, which he called a concrete jungle, Paulino wanted to be an example to youth through working as a police chief of a school district. He was the first Black chief to take that role and he also said that his interest in the police force started when he saw a canine demonstration before he entered the LAPD exploration. Within his role, Paulino explained that his interaction with the police in his youth and having a sort of free reign as the chief leads him to believe that the community is who he works for. As a police officer, he and others of the law should be held accountable by members of the community. The discussion then shifted to the Westside Action Group as Paulino recognized their role and power within the community’s voice. When talking about his family, he mentioned that his grandfather told him to never shame the family and that education was something he was expected to follow. There is also a mention of his ethnic background, being that of the Garinagu people, and also that his 50th birthday was on the same day as the recording. After speaking about his wife, children, and grandchildren, the topic returns to law enforcement. He mentioned that he started his school officer career in the Rialto Unified School District and the disappointments he saw in his line of work, such as being let down while as Interim Chief. Paulino also explains that history should be the inspiration for the future and that children are often told they cannot succeed. When speaking about his heroes being Nelson, Colin Powell, and Martin Luther King, Jr., the interview also explained that he wants people to see him as a man who broke barriers. His greatest fear was to leave a community member on hold and unjustly harmed and explains how dangerous misinformation can be. He said that when someone of the law does not fulfill a responsibility, the best way to make them pay is to not ignore what they did and keep them in the conversation. Paulino also spoke about the Westside Action Group’s role in getting Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday for San Bernardino County and gave a message to the people who watch the recording fifty years later that one has a responsibility to the community and oneself. The conversation then goes into the issue of police action, a discussion of the idea of making mistakes as well as occupational deviancy and racial violence against Black men. The interviewee also said that he speaks in churches and other school districts on the theme of leadership. The interview then ends with a brief discussion on teaching behavior, responsibility, professionalism, and communicating respect with others.

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