Shaun Jurgens

Deputy Shaun Jurgens gives his card to Gladys, a woman who cleans rooms at the Howard Johnson Hotel near Four Mile Fork. Accompanied by her daughter, Lisette, Gladys told Jurgens that her wallet was taken, along with her green card and driver's license, from her purse as she worked. Jurgens told her if she had any problems getting new IDs, 'you can have them call me, and I'll tell them you were a victim.' /Dana Romanoff, The Free Lance-StarFredericksburg.com -
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Deputy Shaun Jurgens gives his card to Gladys, a woman who cleans rooms at the Howard Johnson Hotel near Four Mile Fork.Accompanied by her daughter, Lisette, Gladys told Jurgens that her wallet was taken, along with her green card and driver's license, from her purse as she worked.Jurgens told her if she had any problems getting new IDs, 'you can have them call me, and I'll tell them you were a victim.' /Dana Romanoff, The Free Lance-Star

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Deputy Shaun Jurgens regularly visits this Mexican family, including 4-year-old Yasmine, who is afraid of police officers, said her mother, Mari.He's known the family since he was a student at the University of Mary Washington and was a volunteer interpreter. 'He helps us with whatever problem we have,' Mari said. 'When mail arrives in English, he translates.'/Dana Romanoff, The Free Lance-Star

Deputy Shaun Jurgens gives his card to Gladys, a woman who cleans rooms at the Howard Johnson Hotel near Four Mile Fork.Accompanied by her daughter, Lisette, Gladys told Jurgens that her wallet was taken, along with her green card and driver's license, from her purse as she worked.Jurgens told her if she had any problems getting new IDs, 'you can have them call me, and I'll tell them you were a victim.' /Dana Romanoff, The Free Lance-Star
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TALL AND THIN, with green eyes and short brown hair, Shaun Jurgens is what some Hispanics might call a "gringo," a white man.

He grew up in the suburbs of New York, not far from the Bronx, and came south for an education.He joined the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office in 2005, days after he graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a degree in Spanish.

Jurgens found that he fit in better in the Fredericksburg area than on the outskirts of New York City.

The deputy is a country-music fan and a diehard Republican, a self-described redneck who would fly the Confederate flag proudly-if it wouldn't get him into trouble at the office.

But Jurgens has another interesting personality trait: a heart for Hispanics.
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Jurgens is the one summoned when Spanish-speakers are involved with crimes, accidents, or-as was the case in June-two drowning deaths on Lake Anna.
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Jurgens said his reasons for wanting to work with Hispanics are simple.Latinos have strong family values, "and they seem to be really good people," he said.

But the 22-year-old deputy wonders what the future holds in communities where the Hispanic population is exploding.

The number of Latinos in the Fredericksburg area has more than doubled in five years, and Jurgens sees "cultural unrest" growing with it.

He fears that Hispanics will get tired of "working 18-hour days and making the economy stronger"-and demand to be treated like citizens.

On the other hand, Jurgens knows Americans will argue that illegal immigrants are law-breakers, first and foremost, who should be treated as such.

"I just worry about what's going to happen in the future," he said.

Members of MORE so far include: Spears; Girvan; Teri McNally, director of the Community Foundation for the Rappahannock River Region; Dori Eglevsky, former UMW rector; community activist and blues singer Gaye Adegbalola; social worker and community volunteer Cindye Brown; UMW professor Ana Chichester; the Rev. Lawrence Davies, a former Fredericksburg mayor and pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site); former City Councilman Richard Garnett; City Councilman Hashmel Turner; community and civic leader Marguerite Young; assistant city schools Superintendent Marci Catlett; community activist Frederick French; community volunteer Brenda Harris; the Rev. Jeff Jones of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship; UMW student Shaun Jurgens; Realtor Roy McAfee; artist Suzanne Moe; and Mary Washington Hospital Foundation President Xavier Richardson.