You used to hear it a lot more often over the radio: “Can I have a Spanish-speaking deputy respond to my location?” When you’re trying to help a person who has been victimized by crime, or get answers from a suspect, a language barrier can be a safety issue and an impediment to the smooth workings of law and justice. Today, Training Coordinator Sandy Springer is helping give our deputies and civilians the language skills they need to assist a large percentage of our community.
“We started the program in September of 2009 as a pilot program when Sheriff Gualtieri was the Chief Deputy,” Springer said. He recognized the need for our deputies to be able to communicate with the part of our population that speaks Spanish as their primary language. Springer started on a part-time basis, but by 2011 she worked as a Spanish language instructor for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) full time.
The program was originally created for patrol deputies, but it was so successful that in the second year it opened to deputies working in the jail. By the third year both sworn and civilian members could learn Spanish to better communicate with the citizens they met on the job.
Lieutenant Jessica Smith said that the lessons are specifically geared toward the kinds of situations someone is likely to encounter in the law enforcement world. “It teaches you the basics of Spanish, but also the mandatos (commands) such as hands up, drop the weapon, get on the floor.”
Classes can be personalized to the member’s particular duties. A patrol deputy might learn phrases relating to traffic stops, such as please give me your license and registration or step out of the vehicle. Springer said, “We practice everyday scenarios that our members encounter, including domestic violence situations, dealing with mental illness, theft, fights, uncooperative citizens and inmates, assisting inmates with requests, medical issues, and in general assisting the Hispanic community with various things such as records or releases from jail.”
Classes run from September through June. Those with little or no experience with the language start with Spanish 1, and can then take Spanish 2. Members who have been introduced to the language from school and can show proficiency might be able to start with Spanish 2 to enhance their skills even further. Spanish 3 is a maintenance program that meets once a week to keep skills sharp.
Corporal Dawn Carter learned Spanish to help foster a positive relationship with the inmates she meets in the jail. “We learn phrases and commands that would enable us to communicate with Spanish-speaking inmates during the booking process as well as in the housing units.” Knowing an inmate’s primary language can improve safety. “During cell searches in one of our housing units, an inmate made suicidal comments to staff members. The inmate spoke little English and started to speak with staff in Spanish. I was able to communicate with the inmate, in Spanish, thus providing the necessary information to medical personnel to assist with his mental health needs.”
Having more employees who speak Spanish helps conserve resources too. Donna Weatherwax, a civilian who now works in the Policy Development and Accreditation Division but used to work in Inmate Records, said knowing Spanish means she doesn’t have to pull people away from other duties to help her. “I was able to use my Spanish skills to communicate with inmates at the release desk without having to call for someone to translate.”
Fundamentally, though, it is about maintaining a connection with all of the people we serve. According to the 2020 Census, Latinos make up about 26-percent of Florida’s population, and close to 5-million Floridians speak Spanish at home. Even if a citizen is bilingual, in moments of stress they may prefer to talk in their first language. They may also appreciate that a PCSO member is making such an effort to make them feel comfortable and understood.
Social worker Lori Atwater has seen the way an inmate can feel depressed or isolated if no one speaks their language. “I recall an inmate crying in my office, saying he feels so sad because he is around people who don’t understand him and he felt secluded,” Atwater said. “But if the Spanish speaker is housed in a pod where the deputy or other member can communicate in Spanish, then the inmate doesn’t have to feel so isolated. Sworn and civilian members can answer questions or get them the help they need more easily if they are bilingual.”
A high proportion of federal inmates, who are contracted to be housed at the Pinellas County Jail, only speak Spanish. “They have families in other countries who do not know if they are dead or alive, let alone arrested.” But since she learned Spanish, Atwater can help them. “We might have to call their consulate, locate their money from another jail, or contact the federal attorney’s office on their behalf to find out when or if they will be going to court, if there is an ICE hold and they will be deported, or even if they are concerned about a sick parent. Their needs are endless, and we have to be the mediators.”
Weatherwax said that learning another person’s language is a way to show empathy and understanding. “We have such a large Hispanic community in Pinellas County, it’s important that our members be able to communicate with them in order to provide the same level of service as English-speaking community members,” Weatherwax said. “I think it helps improve relations as it shows we care enough to learn how to better communicate and help people feel more valued and welcome in our community.”
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