CHARLOTTE, NC — Distrust between law enforcement and people of color is a hot button issue right now nationally.
Here in Charlotte that lack of trust has long been an problem in the Latin American community, but Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are reaching out to try and change that.
It’s the kind of policing some say our country could use more of. Officers interacting with the people they protect and serve, especially in the Hispanic community.
“We’re here to do more than just write tickets and to take people to jail,” says CMPD Eastway Division Captain Jim Wright. “This is where community policing starts.”
Wright and the division are proactive, hosting a Latin American community day.
“Through our community outreach, we had our ears open and listened to their concerns that went beyond just normal policing,” says Capt. Wright.
Spanish-speaking representatives from the school district, the county health department and local banks were on hand, answering questions and helping people with school registration, immunization information, and more.
Many times there is a wariness in the Hispanic community of law enforcement, but events like the one at CMPD’s Eastway Division are helping that first interaction be a positive one.
“They scared a lot of times,” says Officer Jose Campos. “When you go talk to them they think, ‘Oh it’s police’. So that’s the idea with this. We come. They can talk to us.”
“We’re just trying to get them to be more open with us,” says Officer Stephanie Alcantara. “Just come up to us whenever you want to talk to us. Ask us a question.”
CMPD is looking to recruit more officers like Alcantara and Campos, officers who can bridge the cultural gap throughout the Queen City.
Spanish-speaking officers who are often called to scenes outside their division.
“We have such a big Hispanic population, and it’s hard to get an officer that speaks Spanish, and that if we go up to a scene we can be able to communicate with either the victim or the suspect,” says Officer Alcantara
“We’ve got calls from different districts with that requirement like, ‘Hey we need a Spanish-speaking officer’,” says Officer Campos. “Sometimes we do it by the phone. Sometimes we go to the scene.”
Officer Campos has been with CMPD for eight years. He’s a native of Costa Rica.
Officer Alcantara has been with the department for a year. Her family is from the Dominican Republic.
