ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — When the Orange county sheriffs office began its Citizen Police Academy program in 2006, it was only offered in English.
In the years since both Hispanic and Latino communities have grown, so have the number of native Spanish speakers in the area.
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That is why in 2018 the Sheriff’s office began offering the program in Spanish.
Citizen Police Academy Coordinator Mary Anderson said the program aims to give everyday people a better understanding of law enforcement while building a positive relationship with the communities they serve.
“We see the need to bring that knowledge to the specific communities and how we shape those classes is we look at what the community that specific community is going through,” Anderson said.
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In the early days of the program, enrolment in the Spanish language academy was relatively low; over the years the program has grown so much that the 12-week academy is now offered twice a year.
Hector Tirado said sometimes the terminology used in English doesn’t always translate very well to Spanish.
He said hearing from deputies in Spanish gives him a better understanding.
“I appreciate it in our language because sometimes the terminology we don’t understand or we can explain it better,” Tirado said.
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Academy participant Teresa Caban said the program has helped her perceptions of law enforcement.
“We have the image of the police officers are being terrible, but they’re really not, it’s just also the way you approach them the way they approach you back,” Caban said.
Caban said because she participated in the academy she sees a career in law enforcement as a chance to bring more diversity to the department and as a way to serve her community.
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More information on the Orange County Sheriff Citizen Police Academy in both English and Spanish can be found here.
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