SOUTH COUNTY — Local police officers are working on their Spanish-speaking skills through a strengthening law enforcement grant for all four South County cities.
The class began in January and concluded Feb. 21. The Spanish Immersion Training included six police officers from Soledad and Greenfield and one Gonzales officer.
Soledad Police Chief Eric Sills was the coordinator for the course and came up with the idea for the class because of his time in San Jose as a police captain. Sills and another member of San Jose Police Department brought the idea for a Spanish-speaking course to their chief who approved the class. This year, with the Strengthening Law Enforcement Grant, Sills brought the course to South Monterey County.
Sills said that before taking the course, officers would go out on a call and try to communicate with citizens to determine what the issue was, but they were missing valuable time waiting for a Spanish-speaking officer to show up.
Sgt. Mollie Enriquez grew up going to a Spanish-speaking church. Enriquez has been a police officer for over 10 years and is more confident now in speaking Spanish after attending the class.
“I thought the class was great,” Enriquez said. “I wish we had had it years ago when I first started.”
Enriquez said she wished this type of training was offered in the Police Academy.
“The way that the chief taught the class was very simple but you learned so much,” she said.
Class participants will be able to use the Spanish skills they learned in the class on patrol, conducting traffic stops, in talking with people on the streets and to gain information when major crimes occur.
