Workforce Language Services

In both Escondido, California and Sherman, Texas police officers are beginning to take Spanish classes so as to better be able to communicate with limited English speaking residents. 

After twenty years of “dealing with the [communication] problem,”  Sherman police have decided to implement a plan for their mostly white, male officers to learn Spanish.  Even more interestingly officers will have members of the Latino community do ride-alongs with patrol officers:

In addition to the work on the computer and in the classroom, members of the Hispanic community, like Lupe’s Tamales owner John Arriazola, will be invited to ride along with the officers themselves to better understand one another.

“I think its going to be a great thing because it shows that the Sherman Police Department is sensitive to the needs of the Hispanic community.”

In a very brief blurb about Escondido’s Spanish classes starting in March, the hiring of a community-police liasion was also mentioned.  Mystifyingly, rather than get into depth about what kinds of issues the liasion might bring to police’s attention, the article ended with a statement solidying local police’s commitment to working with ICE and the Border Patrol to deport illegal aliens who break the law.  Once again, very real communication issues for those learning English are eclipsed by a discussion of illegal aliens.