Q&a: San Diego Police Binational Coordinator

After a 30-year police career in San Diego, Sgt. Juan Gonzales splits his time between being a cross-border problem-solver and a motivational speaker for elementary school students. That's because he's both the “binational coordinator” for the department and a manager of its Juvenile Services Division. Gonzalez, 53, was born in Tijuana to a Mexican mother and an American father, and his family moved to the United States soon afterward. His father, Juan Gonzales Sr., died when Juan Jr. was 3. His mother, Elvira, remarried, but the marriage didn't last. Gonzalez and his younger brother Adolfo Gonzales, 52, National City's police chief, helped her raise five other brothers and a sister. QUESTION: How did you get the job of binational coordinator? ANSWER: The job was created in 1993 after former San Diego Mayor Susan Golding and... [read full story]