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EXEMPLARY PROJECT: Advanced Language Program
Ronnie Bastin, Assistant Chief Robert Stack, Major Lexington (KY) Division of Police
Officers and telecommunicators in the Lexington Division of Police needed a much higher skill level in order to provide the quality of services deserved by our community. With only two officers out of 500 that could speak Spanish and no telecommunicators that were bilingual at a proficient level, it became apparent that a language program was needed for the Lexington Division of Police. The need for advanced language training was made even more urgent when the Latino community filed an ever-increasing number of criminal complaint reports despite significant obstacles. Due to their inability to effectively communicate, the Latino population became easy targets for crimes such as robbery, burglary, theft, and assault.
Another area of concern was a sharp increase in Latino arrests. According to agency contacts in the Latino community, the increase in arrests was caused by their lack of knowledge of local customs and norms. For example, drinking alcoholic beverages on a street corner is more socially acceptable in Mexico. In our community, such behavior will draw the attention of the police and the community, which may result in an arrest.
Innovative steps were taken to initiate a comprehensive language and cultural immersion program. Coordinated through the Consul of Mexico, efforts began with two trips: one to Zacatecas, Mexico and another to Morelia, located in the Mexican state of Michoacan. These locations were selected because the immigrants to Lexington originated from this area. Given the different language dialects spoken across Mexico, we felt it was most important that our officers and telecommunicators be able to speak in the dialect they are most likely to encounter. (To better understand this concept, consider how the English language is spoken with a different local vernacular and accent in northeastern United States, as compared to the southern U.S.). A needs assessment survey led to a joint partnership between Lexington’s Division of Police, Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS), government officials from the state of Michoacan, and community members of Lexington. The result was the creation of the Advanced Language Program.
The Advanced Language Program has two parts, advanced language training and cultural immersion. Part one involves officers locally attending and completing 18 college credit hours of conversational Spanish taught by a KIIS supplied instructor from Morelia, Mexico. The second part includes immersion studies in Morelia, where officers live with local families for five weeks; studying, visiting cultural highlights, and interacting with their professional counterparts in Mexico. It became apparent after the first few personnel completed the immersion experiences, that this portion of the training was most beneficial to the officers with high Spanish language proficiency. Therefore, only the most proficient students are selected to participate in the immersion part of the training.
Officers and telecommunicators who participate in and complete both portions of the program develop advanced Spanish language skills and a deeper understanding of the culture. These officers and telecommunicators gain confidence in dealing with the Latino community in Lexington, and community Latinos have responded with increased trust in the police and a greater understanding of our laws. Latinos have demonstrated more positive attitudes towards Lexington’s visionary approach to a communications barrier, and in addition, have increased cooperation in investigations, calls for service, and language line contacts. By collaborating with community members, academics, and government officials, Lexington was able to design an innovative program that met the needs of the department and community.
As a result of Lexington’s implementation of The Advanced Language Program, better communications and services have improved the environment of the city and enriched the quality of life for community members. Numerous officials from other communities across the nation have contacted Lexington for information on how to replicate the Advanced Language Program.
To date, over 60 personnel have participated in classroom instruction, and 32 personnel have completed cultural immersion study in Mexico. This program, along with recruiting efforts to hire Latino officers and telecommunicators and attract applicants with Spanish speaking skills, has significantly expanded the agency’s ability to communicate with the Spanish speaking community. The department now has 60 officers that are fluent in Spanish. This is a significant increase from two officers with Spanish speaking skills in 1997, as illustrated in the following graph.
Providing an orientation for the Latino community about local laws and American customs was another outcome of the Advanced Language Program. Sometimes Latinos bring negative perceptions of police with them from their country. They fall back on self-protection because they don’t know whom to turn to for help. A local homeless shelter, where many new arrivals use the free services, is the site of the presentation. As part of the language learning process, officers in advanced language classes assist in providing the orientation course as part of their practice and interaction with the Latino community.
During the orientation, officers inform new immigrants that Lexington Police have no authority to enforce immigration laws. Individuals participating in the program benefit from learning how to avoid trouble with the law and have a positive interaction with Lexington Police Officers. The non-threatening environment in which the training occurs is conducive to asking questions and finding out information of interest to new residents of Lexington.
The Advanced Language Program has given Lexington the skills to build bridges within the Latino community. These bridges will continue to grow the seed of trust that is essential for a healthy community.
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