DALLAS — Editor's note: This story has been updated with a new statement from the Dallas Police Department.
Latinos now make up nearly half the population of Dallas, yet they say their voices are not being heard by Dallas' top cop.
"We are very disappointed,” said Hector Flores, past national president of LULAC. "It's been two years and a lot of us in the community don't have the ability to communicate with her."
Hector Flores and Rene Martinez are longtime civil rights leaders in Dallas with the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC.
In 2006, they led one of the largest civil rights marches in the City's history.
Yet, they say they can't get Chief U. Reneé Hall to talk to them.
"We've reached out," Martinez said. "We've invited her to things, and it's always like she pushes us away. She knows everything."
They say they're concerned about the high violent crime rate, a demoralized department and embattled police chief, who they say they’ve lost confidence in.
"Whether you like it or not, the chief has been here a couple of years and we should have seen her performance at a high level, not where she is right now,” Flores said.
They say the honeymoon is over.
“I think the learning curb is over," Martinez said. "I think the time has already come. It’s not about race. It’s about competency."
LULAC leaders say they’ve stayed quiet as they tried to give Hall an opportunity, but now say they will be silent no more.
From the beginning, they claim, the chief treated them with disrespect. They pointed to a meeting the first week she was in Dallas. Martinez and Flores said they as they talked about her command staff, they told her they hoped it would be reflective of the community. Dallas is 46% Hispanic.
“She told us at that time she did not want to be bullied," Martinez said. "None of us were bullying her. We were trying to give her advice and recommendations."
“We want her to be successful," Flores said. "Let's get that straight. But it’s also our responsibility to point out things that are not helping our community."
After recent elections, five Latinos now hold city council seats.
Martinez says if the chief can't work with everyone in the community they will push for new leadership.
WFAA asked Dallas police and Assistant City Manager Jon Fortune for a comment.
"The Dallas Police Department works diligently at connecting and engaging in collaborative partnerships with every community it serves," said Sgt. Warren Mitchell in a written statement. "We will continue to work to strengthen those relationships through DPD’s community engagement efforts and directly with Dallas Police Chief Reneé Hall."
Police officials also detailed six meetings in two years discussing Latino issues.
WFAA Dallas crime coverage:
- Man arrested in killing of transgender woman who was found dead in White Rock Lake
- South Dallas car wash known as a 'magnet for crime' to close, city board decides
- Teen ambushed by armed robbers outside home in Winnetka Heights
- Jurors and workers describe panic during shooting at federal courthouse in Dallas