Law Enforcement Officers to Take Spanish Lessons

Officers from different law enforcement agencies gathered at the Stuart Police Department this week for some Spanish lessons.

The lessons are aimed at improving communication lines between officers and Spanish-speaking drivers.

Officers from the Florida Highway Patrol and local police learned some basic Spanish skills, from the alphabet to conducting field sobriety tests in the language.

"It's difficult enough talking to a drunk in English, let alone talking to a drunk in a foreign language," one officer said.

Kahlia Mizell of the Florida Highway Patrol said she has had several experiences trying to communicate with Spanish-speaking drivers.

"There was a vehicle that was weaving all over the road," Mizell said. She said she pulled the vehicle over and found that the driver did not speak English. They had to communicate in hand gestures, Mizell said.

"You really have to get a Spanish speaking officer there because if you are trying to make an arrest with something serious like a DUI, you want it to stick in court so you don't want to have any communication problems," said Mizell.

Police officers and highway patrol troopers said that while the lessons were challenging, they were confident that they would come in handy in the future.