16. Spanish COMPLETE Flashcards
Unit Goal: 16.1. Demonstrate proficiency in selected phrases of Spanish, as determined by local requirements.
16.1.1. List reasons for Spanish training of law enforcement officers.
Hispanic Americans are residents of the United States who belong to a Spanish speaking ethnic group. The total number of Americans of Hispanic origin continues to climb.
The 1990 census reported:
- the national increase to have passed 22,350,000 or 9% of the U. S. population
- in Texas, persons of Hispanic origin number 4,294,120 (25% of a total of 16,986,510)
- an expected increase of approximately 21% going into the 21st century.
Most of this population is of Mexican birth and ancestry. Mexican-Americans are a mixture of both cultures – Mexican and Anglo. Their concentration is to the Southwest, especially in California and Texas.
16.1.2. The student will be able to list common Spanish words and phrases that would signal danger or impending danger.
Disarm Him
desármalo
Jump Him
bríncale
Shoot Him/Her
despárale
tírale
Beat Him Up
golpéalo (golpéala)
Take His/Her Gun
quíale la pistola
agárra el armá
el cohete
Hit Him/Her
pégale
chingaso
Kick Him
pataléalo (pataléla)
Run
córrele
dále gas
arráncate
Stab Him
pícalo (pícala)
córtalo (córtala)
16.1.2. The student will be able to list common Spanish words and phrases that would signal danger or impending danger.
Pistol
pistola
cohete
arma
quete
Rifle
rifle
Shotgun
escopeta
Scissors
tijeras
Shoot
dispára
tira
Knife
cuchillo
navaja
filero
Bottle
botella
16.1.3. The student will be able to recite common Spanish words or phrases that would assist an officer in the investigation and identification of suspects and witnesses
What?
¿Qué?
How?
¿Cómo?
Why?
¿Por qué?
When?
¿Cuándo?
Where?
¿Dónde?
How many?
¿Cuántos?
or ¿Cuántas?
Which?
¿Cuál?
Who?
¿Quién?
Whose?
¿De quién?
or ¿De quienes?
16.1.3. The student will be able to recite common Spanish words or phrases that would assist an officer in the investigation and identification of suspects and witnesses
Aunt - Tía
Boyfriend - Novio
Brother - Hermano
Brother-in-law - Cuñado
Children - Hijos
Daughter - Hija
Father - Padre
Fiancé - prometido (prometida)
Girlfriend - novia
Grandson/ Granddaughter - nieto / nieta
Husband - esposo
Wife - esposa
Mother - madre
Parents - padres
Relatives - parientes
Sister - hermana
Sister-in-law - cuñada
Son - hijo
Stepfather - padrastro
Stepmother - Madrastra
16.1.3. The student will be able to recite common Spanish words or phrases that would assist an officer in the investigation and identification of suspects and witnesses
Black
Negro
Blue
Azul
Beige
Beige
Blonde
Rubio
Brown
café, pardo
Brunette
Moreno
Dark
Oscuro
Gold
Dorado
Gray
Gris
Green
Verde
Light color tone
Claro
Orange
Naranja
Pink
Rosado
Red
Rojo
Silvery
Plateado
Silver
(the metal)
Plata
Yellow
Amarillo
White
(the color)
Blanco
16.1.3. The student will be able to recite common Spanish words or phrases that would assist an officer in the investigation and identification of suspects and witnesses
Blouse
blusa
Jacket
chaqueta
Coat
saco
Overcoat
abrigo
Hat
sombrero
Cap
gorra
Shirt
camisa
Pants
pantalones
Socks
calcetines
Shoes
zapatos
Gloves
guantes
16.1.4. The student will be able to recite common Spanish phrases that will assist the officer conducting field interviews and traffic stops.
Who called the police? - ¿Quién llamó á la policía?
Did you call the police? - ¿Usted llamó á la policía?
Who is the victim? - ¿Quién es la víctima?
Calm down - Cálmese
Who saw what happened? - ¿Quién vió lo que pasó?
I speak only a little Spanish? - Hablo sólo un poco de español
Do you speak English? - ¿Habla usted inglés?
FIELD INTERVIEW
I’ve called for a Spanish-speaking officer
Yo llamé por un oficial que habla español
I don’t understand
No entiendo
Do you understand?
¿Entiende?
How may I help you?
¿En qué puedo servirle?
Let’s talk in another room
Hablemos en otro cuarto
Do you wish to file a complaint?
¿Quiere hacer una demanda?
Please repeat
Repita, por favor
TRAFFIC STOP
Name
nombre
Place of Birth
Lugar de
nacimiento
Age
edad
Occupation
ocupación
Address
dirección
City
ciudad
Zip Code
zona postal
Phone Number
numero de teléfono
Place of Work
lugar donde trabaja
Sign Here
firme aquí
Please
por favor
Your Signature
su firma
Insurance
aseguranza / seguro
Driver’s License
licencia de conducir / licencia de manejar
Are you the owner of the car?
¿Es usted el dueño del vehículo?
Get out of the Car
Salga del vehículo
Stop the motor
Apague el motor
16.1.5. The student will be able to recite common Spanish phrases that will assist the officer conducting accident investigations
Is anyone injured?
¿Hay alguien herido?
Are you alright?
¿Está bien?
Stay calm
Quédese tranquilo
Don’t move your head
No mueva la cabeza
Where does it hurt?
¿Dónde le duele?
Do you need an ambulance?
¿Necesita una ambulancia?
I’m going to call an ambulance
Voy á llamar una ambulancia
Turn off the motor
Apague el motor
Get out of the car, please
Bájese del vehículo, por favor
Are you the owner of the car?
¿Es usted el dueño del carro?
Who was driving?
¿Quién venía manejando?
Were you wearing seat belts?
¿Llevaba puesto el cinturón de seguridad?
Which way were you going?
¿En qué dirección iba usted?
How fast were you driving?
¿Á qué velocidad venía manejando?
Which way was the other car going?
¿En qué dirección iba el otro vehículo?
Do you want me to call a tow truck?
¿Quiere que llame una grua?
Do you want me to call someone?
¿Quiere que llame á alquien?
Have you been drinking or taking any drugs?
¿Ha bebido alcohol o tomado drogas?
16.1.6. The student will demonstrate proficiency using common Spanish phrases for command and control.
Police! Don’t move
¡Policía! No se mueva
Drop the Weapon
suelta el arma
Hands in the Air
manos arriba
Turn Around, Slowly
Voltéese, despaciamente
Stop!
¡Alto!
Spread Your Legs
sepáre las piernas
16.1.7. The student will demonstrate proficiency using common Spanish phrases for arrests.
COMMANDS
Get Up
levántese
Sit Down
siéntese
You Are Under Arrest
está arrestado
HANDCUFFING
Get on the Floor (Inside)
acuéstese en el piso
Get on the Ground (Outside)
acuéstese en el suelo
Arms Straight Out from Your Body
extienda los brazos al lado
Cross Your Feet
cruzca los pies
Don’t Look At Me
no me mire
Give Me Your Other Hand
déme la otra mano
Put Your Hands Behind Your Back
póngase las manos detrás de la espalda
INSTRUCTOR GUIDE
Language and Communication
Hispanic American Group Orientation Communication Style
Due to the profound importance of family and community in Hispanic American culture, law enforcement officers need to be aware of common group identification styles. Under questioning, for instance, a Hispanic American family member may “eye-check” family members before coming up with a question, and may follow this action up with what seems to be an inappropriate use of the pronoun “we” when the officer expects to hear an “I.” This behavior may seem to be evasive or misleading to some officers, but it often simply reflects the fact that no individual in the family can separate his or her affairs from the family’s larger concerns.
Language Limitations
When under stress, as in police interview situations, Hispanic Americans with limited English skills often begin to speak Spanish in response to English questions. Law enforcement officers need to keep in mind that this is not necessarily an attempt to hide information. In fact, when a Hispanic American interviewee turns and speaks Spanish to family and friends during an interview, he or she may well be gathering information. Officers also need not assume a lack of comprehension when in contact with a Hispanic American who does not speak English well; listening and reading skills often far exceed those required in speech.
Law enforcement officers do need to be patient with Hispanic Americans whose English skills are extremely limited, and make sure that relevant information is gathered despite the language barriers involved. Historically, the Hispanic American community has suffered from inadequate law enforcement at times because officers were unwilling to summon the time and resources to listen.
Establishing Trust with the Hispanic American Community
Throughout their history, Hispanic Americans have suffered much prejudice and discrimination at the hands of the white majority as well as at the hands of many Latin American dictatorships. Trusting law enforcement officers and other officials, then, is not easy for many Hispanic Americans. On the other hand, as has been discussed above, many Hispanic Americans are taught to show respect for figures of authority in the family and community.
Law enforcement officers do well to distinguish between demonstrated respect for their authority and trust. Trust must be established through caring and consistent community policing.
Communicating Context during Contact with Hispanic Americans
Because of a strong emphasis placed by many Hispanic Americans upon the personal quality of communication, law enforcement officers can greatly enhance their policing skills by taking care to establish the context of their inquiries. Most interviews will benefit from a friendly greeting and a handshake. An interviewing officer might explain why the information is needed and what kind of work he or she does; any bond or common interest he or she shares with the people being questioned; and the legal and procedural background of the interview. Providing relevant background information and sincerely demonstrating common interest signifies goodwill and cooperation between law enforcement officers and the Hispanic American community.
Issues in Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication presents many challenges for law enforcement officers making contact with Hispanic Americans. When interviewees avert their eyes, for instance, officers may interpret the action as dishonesty, but many Hispanic Americans are taught to avert direct eye contact with figures of authority as a sign of respect.
Native Spanish speakers often use a great deal of body language. For example, many native Spanish speakers point with their lips (especially in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Mexico). Another way to point is to tilt the head and/or raise an eyebrow. Also, a common way to say ¨no¨ without speech is to shake the index finger.
A common misunderstanding occurs when Hispanic Americans exhibit fear for no apparent reason, claim not to speak English, and balk at presenting identification. In some Latin American countries, being stopped by a law enforcement officer is indeed a fearsome thing. Latin American governments notorious for “death squads” and random brutality against citizens produce people who are terrified of the police. Also, it is common for law enforcement officials in Latin American countries to ask for identification and to not return it to the owner.
In instances where an officer has no reason to believe that a fearful Hispanic American is a threat, it can rarely hurt to reassure the person, through word and deed, which the information requested would not lead to their being harmed.
Emotional Expression
Law enforcement officers dealing with Hispanic Americans may be taken aback by what they perceive as over-emotional speech, tone of voice, and gesture. These officers may feel compelled to calm or confront Hispanic Americans when, in fact, nothing is wrong. In many Latin American countries, emotional expression tends to be viewed as permissible, and extreme emotional restraint may even strike them as alarming. Officers who recognize this fact, and adjust their behavior accordingly when in contact with Hispanic Americans, will find that their job is easier.
Derogatory Language
Law enforcement officers who adhere to negative stereotypes of Hispanic Americans may feel tempted to use derogatory language - such as “spik,” “wetback,” “greaser” - in private communication with acquaintances and colleagues. For law enforcement organizations wishing to establish trust and open communication with the Hispanic American community, such language is completely unacceptable. Officers and their organizations must be vigilant in fighting the use of such language through education and development of internal policy.
When in doubt about what Hispanic Americans should be called, officers are well advised to be sensitive to acceptable forms of naming used in particular communities, and even to ask Hispanic Americans what they would prefer to be called when identified as a group.
Differential Treatment of Hispanic Americans by Law Enforcement Officers
Underreporting of crime is currently one of the biggest challenges facing law enforcement officers trying to serve Hispanic Americans. Sometimes the failure to report criminal activity is due to internal community pressures, such as a fear of retaliation or a desire not to harm extended family members who are connected in some way to the criminal activity. Other factors include a perceived indifference on the part of law enforcement authorities, a lack of positive experience with and hence a lack of confidence in law enforcement, a belief that law enforcement in the community will probably be either ineffective or harmful, and prior experience of discrimination against Hispanic Americans by law enforcement officers.
Hispanic Americans from countries with politically repressive governments - such as El Salvador, Guatemala, Chile, and southern Mexico - will often be hesitant to report crime, because they may fear police officers more than they fear criminals. As suggested earlier, officers need to go out of their way to reassure such people that they need not fear the police.
Underreporting of crime can aggravate already sluggish or cynical efforts by law enforcement agencies to serve the Hispanic American community. Law enforcement officers working for such agencies need to work with their colleagues through education and community outreach to reverse such negative tendencies and affirm the desire of most Hispanic Americans for effective law enforcement.
Victimization
In 1990, the Bureau of Justice Statistics published a report on victimization in the Hispanic American community. The study covered an estimated 100,000 persons age 12 or older, in 50,000 households, interviewed twice a year. Its findings should provide incentive for conscientious law enforcement officers to serve the Hispanic American community in a more vigorous and caring manner.
For the period 1979 to 1986, Hispanic Americans experienced more victimization from violent crime than other American populations. For every 1000 Hispanic Americans age 12 and over, there were 12 aggravated assaults and 11 robberies (compared to 10 aggravated assaults and 6 robberies for all other populations).
Hispanic Americans suffered a higher rate of household crimes (such as burglary, household larceny, and motor vehicle theft) than all other populations: this came to an annual average of 266 household victimizations per 1000 households headed by a Hispanic American (compared to 205 crimes per 1000 households for all other populations).
The street was the most common place for violent crimes to occur: 45 percent of the robberies of Hispanic Americans occurred on the city streets. This crime rate would necessarily be lower with increased police patrol activity.
Hispanic American victims of violent crime were more likely to be accosted by a stranger (65 percent) than were black American victims (54 percent) or white victims (58 percent).
Hispanic American and black American victims were more likely to face an armed offender (57 percent for each group) than were white victims (43 percent). (Shusta, Levine, Harris, and Wong, p. 208)
Increasing Community Policing Services for Hispanic Americans
Among many possibilities for improved community policing in the Hispanic American community, a particularly effective approach may be the use of bilingual community service officers (CSOs), uniformed and badge-holding non-sworn officers. Spanish-speaking CSOs, with their insight into the language and culture of Hispanic Americans, can help law enforcement agencies provide essential “informational, referral, educational, and crime-reporting services” (Shusta, Levine, Harris, and Wong, p. 209).
Law enforcement officers who lack Spanish skills but who have frequent contact with Hispanic Americans may become jaded and resigned after ineffective crash-courses in Spanish that leave them with little more than useless practice phrases. Some rudimentary knowledge of Spanish can go a long way toward helping officers do their jobs, however: using courteous everyday Spanish phrases such as greetings (“Buenos días”) and terms of honor for individuals (“señor, señora”) will probably be appreciated as signs of respect and goodwill.
