NCJ Number
123512
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 17 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1990) Pages: 22-23,44
Date Published
1990
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The arrest of Hispanics who speak no English complicates the job of police officers in street situations where the bottom lines are communication and speed.
Abstract
The challenge of "street Spanish" to law enforcement is overwhelming, since dialects are very different and the average teacher of Spanish has not been exposed to street Spanish. In addition, the ratio of Spanish-speaking police officers to the Hispanic population is low. People who speak no English are protected by the same constitutional guarantees as anyone else. This means that delays in the judicial process due to lack of communication place police officers at risk of lawsuit. Teaching materials and vocabulary aids are available to help police officers learn street Spanish.