Thread: Baldwin Hispanic Population Grows

Baldwin County's Hispanic population increases 225% in a decade...creates new challenges for police, educators.

FOLEY, Alabama -
In 2000, Baldwin County had 2,466 Hispanics living there...now, nearly eight thousand call Baldwin County home. The Hispanic population increase has created a few challenges for law enforcement and for teachers...who deal with the "language barrier" on a weekly basis.


Foley has the largest Hispanic community in Baldwin County...families settle there for the quality of life and the easy access to beach jobs and work situations. At Foley Elementary, four bi-lingual teachers have been hired. Many students there can't speak a word of English when they arrive on campus. Foley Elementary has 238 Hispanic students currently on the enrollment roster....20 percent of the student population.


Communicating with non-English speaking residents is also a challenge for police. The Foley Police Department has five Spanish-speaking employees including patrolmen, dispatchers and a magistrate. Police say it's been beneficial because some Hispanics have a hard time talking to non-Spanish speaking officers and are often scared to give officers information about crimes or investigations.


http://www.wkrg.com/alabama/article/bal ... 1_9-09-am/

Communicating with non-English speaking residents is also a challenge for police. The Foley Police Department has five Spanish-speaking employees including patrolmen, dispatchers and a magistrate.

Why does the Foley Police Department need to pay for this burden? How about illegals just bringing their own interpreter?