By GAVIN LESNICK
Courier & Press staff writer 464-7449 or
lesnickg@courierpress.com
Originally published 12:00 a.m., February 10, 2007
Updated 12:00 a.m., February 10, 2007
A new program created by the Evansville Police Department is aimed at eliminating barriers between police and the Latino community.
Evansville Police Sgt. Karla Larmore said the Latino Outreach Program, which debuts with an event Sunday afternoon, will help show Latino residents the policies and procedures of the department and demonstrate that police are there to help.
That, officials believe, is a misconception among some in the Latino community.
"We're getting a lot of feedback that people, from the cultures they were raised in, have an innate distrust of police," Larmore said. "And we're trying to break down some of those preconceived notions."
The first installment of the program is a luncheon at 1 p.m. Sunday at Nativity Church, 3635 Pollack Ave., after the church's Spanish service.
Larmore said Sunday's event, which will be offered in Spanish and English, will include a rundown of the structure of the department and information on calling 911. Some people are unaware, she said, that the dispatch center has 24-hour access to translation services.
The motivation for this program came as police heard some victims in the Latino community were not reporting crimes because they feared police involvement, Larmore said.
Police officials believe that has become a significant problem, but one that can be solved through the outreach program.
"(We want to) let them know we are here to help, we're not contacting immigration and they're part of our community now," Larmore said. "And we certainly don't want people to not report crimes and not call us if they need help."
Larmore said the benefits of the program are twofold in that it shares information about the department and offers community members the chance to interact with officers in a positive environment.
"(It will) kind of get people accustomed to seeing us and to be comfortable with us," she said.
Department officials will also ask those in attendance Sunday what they would like to see in future programs, Larmore said, and that will help determine what the program focuses on in the future. The luncheons are scheduled to continue each month.
"We're kind of testing the waters here a little bit," Larmore said. "But as long as they want us and we have programs we can present, I'm sure we can keep it going."