Course Overview:
The rapid influx of Hispanics into the United States in recent
years has resulted in increasing numbers of encounters between law enforcement
officers and individuals whose native language is Spanish. Law enforcement
officers with no knowledge of the Spanish language and culture are at
a disadvantage in these encounters. Officials may react inappropriately
when they cannot understand what is being said and they are unable to
gather information, offer assistance or give commands when necessary.
Recognizing that basic Spanish language skills will serve to increase
the safety and efficiency of law enforcement officers.
The emphasis of the program is to focus on courtesy expressions,
understand street/slang Spanish, give commands to identify potentially
dangerous situations, conduct and gather the pertinent information to
complete an investigative report. Understanding cultural differences
is also incorporated into the program, including cultural differences
between Hispanics.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
This program is most beneficial to those officers and
agents whose assignments require routine interactions with Spanish speaking
individuals.
The training program is developed on the premise that
the participant has little or no prior knowledge of the Spanish language.
However, participants who have studied Spanish in the past will also
benefit from this program. This is in part due to the fact that street
Spanish is not taught in the traditional academic setting. Obviously,
a participant’s natural aptitude for language learning will affect
the degree of language skills developed to some extent. However, a participant’s
motivation and willingness to try are the primary prerequisites to success
in this program.
OFFICER INVOLVEMENT
This course is designed to familiarize the student with
street/slang Spanish, arrest expressions, cultural information, and information
gathering from witnesses, victims, and suspects. The four basic grammatical
tenses will be covered so that the student may become familiar with their
use.
Of particular importance in this course is the fact that
slang is taught so that the student will be aware of meaning of slang
terms. Many slang phrases have literal meanings which on the street could
be interpreted as impending danger. Also, slang terminology as it pertains
to weapons and drugs will be discussed during this course.
During the course of instruction, short phrase arrest
expressions will be explored. The focus is on the ability to command
a situation with easy-to-remember phrases which could neutralize a potentially
dangerous situation. Arrests involving motor vehicles are also covered
in this section of course.
As in any other culture, there are significant differences
in the Hispanic culture which are essential for the law enforcement officer
to know. The purpose of the Hispanic culture section is to prevent a
situation from escalating due to an officer’s unfamiliarity with
cultural differences.
When confronted by a Spanish speaking individual reporting
an offense or offering information, many law enforcement officers stop
by saying, “No espanol.” While waiting for a Spanish speaking
officer, the IISSTP graduate may begin to obtain information from the
person to whom he/she is speaking. In this manner, the flow of the interview
would not be disrupted while awaiting the arrival of the Spanish speaking
officer. Also, an overview on how to interpret clothing and descriptions
given in Spanish will be covered in order to assist the officer with
obtaining suspect information.
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