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Police officers learn Spanish

5-11-05
By Jason Hardin Staff Writer
News & Record

The robbery victim is speaking rapidly. He wants to tell officers what happened, but it's not working. He speaks Spanish. They speak English.

It's frustrating for everyone.

Finally, an officer who speaks Spanish arrives, calming the man down and getting the crucial information about the crime.

In this case, it's only a scenario in a conversational Spanish class. Still, it's the kind of thing that happens every day in the Triad, where an increasing number of residents speak only Spanish.

This is not a typical class. The nearly 20 students are wearing badges and uniforms. For them, knowing Spanish means the difference between helping someone or not, or defusing a dangerous situation -- or not.

They are the first area law enforcement officers to complete an intensive, nine-month class designed to teach officers not only basic questions and commands, but also how to converse in Spanish.

Anders Lyndrup, a Greensboro police officer who is teaching the course, said it's essential that more officers be able to speak Spanish.

"The way our society and culture is going, we've got to do something to stay up with the times," he said. "It's huge. Just in the last five or six years, the whole dynamic of everything is changing."

The students have put in a substantial amount of time, attending three-hour classes twice a week at GTCC in Jamestown. They're now able to confidently carry on detailed conversations in Spanish.

It's a skill they say will help eliminate major frustration for both officers and Spanish-speaking residents.

Guilford County sheriff's deputy B.M. Ezell said Spanish comes in handy probably once a day. Unless an officer speaks the language, it means a lengthy wait for one of the few interpreters available. It's not an efficient way to conduct law enforcement.

Knowing how to converse in Spanish means that officers can get beyond the basics of a situation.

"They can talk to you and you can talk to them," Ezell said. "You can try to help them out and solve the problem."

The students, who include Guilford County sheriff's deputies and officers from other departments including High Point police, are now wrapping up the course.

Lyndrup said some Greensboro police officers will take the next course beginning in September.

He plans to hold the class each year.

Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes lauded the deputies for taking the class and said it demonstrates an effort to reach out to Spanish-speaking residents.

It's definitely something law enforcement needs to continue to work on, he said.

"We've got to do a better job of communicating," Barnes said.

Contact Jason Hardin at 373-7021 or jhardin@news-record.com