NCJ Number
210404
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 72 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2005 Pages: 54-57
Date Published
June 2005
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the Talking with the Police program developed by the Monterey Park, Police Department and the public library.
Abstract
Monterey Park, CA, is one of the most diverse cities in the Nation, with a full 43 percent of the adult population capable of speaking only limited English. Such diversity has caused communication problems between Monterey police and citizens with limited English skills. An idea to increase the English skills of Monterey Park citizens while teaching law enforcement procedures emerged when students in the Literacy for All of Monterey Park class at the public library began asking for opportunities to practice their English language skills by speaking with law enforcement officers. A partnership was thus born, Federal funding was acquired, and the Talking with the Police program was developed through cooperation between the literacy class and the police department. The two main goals of the program are to improve the English skills of adults and to increase their knowledge of American law enforcement procedures. The author discusses the content development and field test process before turning to a description of the materials for the program, the guest speakers, field trips, and videos. A standardized test approved by the California Department of Education is used to assess the English skill development of students and a post-program self-assessment evaluates the effectiveness of the law enforcement instruction. Talking with the Police materials are available in CD-ROM format or may be downloaded from the California Department of Education.