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News/Noticias Nation's top Hispanic law enforcement officials honor Wal-Mart. Los Angeles, CA (November 15, 1999) — The nation's top Hispanic law officials have named Wal-Mart this year's winner of its Aguila Award in the "Corporate" category. The company was recognized by the Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association (HAPCOA) for its support of Hispanic community development, especially in its efforts to have Hispanics reflected in every possible aspect of its overall operations. The award was announced during HAPCOA's 26th annual conference and training workshops at the Hilton Hotel in Burbank, CA., this past month. "Wal-Mart is one of the country's larger employers of Hispanics and its efforts to increase involvement of our community in their business has a variety of indirect benefits to all of us in law enforcement and criminal justice," said HAPCOA President Edwin Rios, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Aguila Award is the highest form of recognition given to corporations for exceptional contributions to HAPCOA's mission and goals. Candidates are nominated by members of the law enforcement community and honored at the annual awards banquet. Previous award winners include: AT&T; Allstate Insurance; Anheuser-Busch Companies; and Motorola. "Wal-Mart's continued commitment to the growth and success of our nation's Hispanic community is a responsibility we have placed as a major component of our company's mission," said Ruben Perez, Regional Loss Prevention Supervisor of Wal-Mart Stores. "We are very proud of this recognition, and we will strive to better our efforts in supporting Hispanic community development." The Aguila Award is named after the Spanish word for eagle, which symbolizes vigilance and strength. It is the eagle's universal symbolism of courage and leadership that prompted HAPCOA to give their awards a name that would convey an image recognized by both the law enforcement community and its supporters. HAPCOA was founded in 1973 in California (as the Mexican American Police Command Officers Association). In 1984, it changed its name to reflect a broader representation of Hispanic command officers across the country. The organization's objectives are to address the needs of law enforcement agencies and foster career opportunities for Hispanic police officers. Its members represent a cross section of law enforcement agencies from municipal police departments, county sheriffs and state agencies to the ATF, DEA, FBI and many other federal agencies.
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