We have always relied on self-reporting during the application process to identify those employees with bilingual or multi-lingual skills. Recently, however, I directed our Human Services Division to establish a language services program. The goal is to create and maintain an active database of bilingual and multi-lingual employees—both sworn and civilian. A general order establishing and governing this program is being drafted. Under the order, Human Services would identify positions within the Department that are "public contact positions," which would entitle the employees to receive language services pay. We plan to adopt the language certification program that is presently being used by the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.
Establishing this language services program will allow us to be more proactive and strategic in how we assign our officers ... and more responsive in situations that require special language skills.
In addition, our Institute of Police Science has begun offering basic conversational Spanish over the computer-based, distance training network it operates. That way, officers who have Spanish-speaking residents on their PSA can quickly and easily learn some key words and phrases to assist them in communicating with these residents.
Beyond establishing the data bank of language skills and providing some basic training, I am also committed to increasing the number of Latino officers in the Department ... so that their numbers more closely match the Latino population of the city. Currently, about 5 percent of the approximately 3,520 sworn members on our Department are identified as Latino or Hispanic. While that percentage is lower than what I would like it to be ... I would like to point out that, according to the DC Office of Personnel, Latino representation in the MPDC is greater than that of the other 44 agencies the Office monitors under the Bilingual Personnel Act of 1994.
Still, we are working to increase the number of Latino officers through more aggressive and more strategic recruiting. Approximately 10 percent of our recruiting budget is being devoted strictly to increasing the number of Latino applicants for police officer positions. We produce our recruitment literature in Spanish —as well as in various Asian languages. And we will soon be providing recruitment information in Spanish on our website, mpdc.dc.gov.
We are also working to establish strong relationships with local civic and cultural organizations for the purposes of increased recruitment. As a start, we have established a presence in two Hispanic Community Centers—at 18th Street and Columbia Road, NW and at 3145 Mount Pleasant St., NW. We look forward to working with other organizations in support of our recruitment efforts.
We are also working to identify Latino and other members who demonstrate the potential to be successful managers—the goal being to increase the number of Latinos in the sworn managerial ranks. Of the 171 Latino members I mentioned earlier, 131 are officers or master patrol officers, and 23 are detectives. The remaining 17 members include 11 sergeants, 4 lieutenants, 1 captain and 1 commander. So there is a lot of work to be done ... both in recruiting more Latino officers for entry-level positions and in grooming those with the potential to be successful managers.
In closing, I want to address one last issue that was raised in the written questions that were submitted in advance of today’s hearing. The issue deals with where our Spanish-speaking officers are assigned. As you will note in my response, more than one-third of the officers identified as Latino or Hispanic are assigned to the Third and Fourth Districts—the two districts with the highest concentrations of Latino residents.
As I said earlier, I wholeheartedly support having an officer corps that reflects the demographics of our city. And where practical, I support assigning officers with particular backgrounds or skills to those communities where those skills can be best utilized. What I do not support is the notion that only Latino officers can, or should, police Latino neighborhoods ... any more than I support the notion that only black officers should police black neighborhoods, or only white officers, white neighborhoods.
Every member of the Metropolitan Police Department must be adequately trained, equipped and sensitized to serve any member of the community—regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, age, gender, or sexual orientation.
I am committed to providing our officers with the training ... the coaching and mentoring ... and, where necessary, the discipline they need to ensure that all of our residents are treated fairly, equally and professionally.
Thank you very much.
