Officers Hope To Gain Immigrants' Trust

This is a good way to get immigrants accustomed to the police being helpful and not to avoid them as they did in their home countries. DP

WLWT.com: HAMILTON, Ohio -- When police officers pull up to a group of people in Hispanic neighborhoods, those who don’t speak English often go inside or walk the other way.

Hamilton police officers have enacted a new plan to gain the trust of Hispanic immigrants, many of whom feel uncomfortable around or intimidated by uniformed officers.

“Some are in fear,” said Officer Eric Taylor, who speaks Spanish. “They come from other countries where they don't have relationships with police, and that's what we're trying to break.”

Taylor tries to break down some of those barriers each time he walks the beat.
“He speaks Spanish, (so) I get along with him more,” said teenager Santos Hernandez.

Hamilton police have opened Butler County’s first Hispanic police academy to help increase immigrants’ understanding of United States laws and customs.

The classes focus on driving, alcohol and domestic abuse, which can vary legally and culturally in Latin American countries.
“There's a lot of domestic violence issues, just because the cultures are different,” Taylor said.

The officer said landlords take advantage of many immigrants by charging outrageous rents, and other businesses, such as moneylenders, do the same.

The buy-here, pay-here auto loans – we get complaints about that,” Taylor said. “You buy this car this week and it gets repossessed next week because they don't understand what contracts are.”

Officers hope to teach immigrants about those basic issues to help them stay out of trouble and help gain the trust of this fast-growing community.

“We're not here to be feared,” Taylor said. “Our job is to protect and to serve.”