Course detail: Essential Spanish for Law Enforcement and Corrections

Essential Spanish for Law Enforcement and Corrections is a 2 1/2 day class designed to assist the officer who has little to no knowledge of the Spanish language. Students will learn the basics of the Spanish language and will be required to learn phrases and words that are helpful when dealing with Spanish speakers. Participants should leave the training with enough knowledge to get through a traffic stop, gather vital information for reports, be able to gauge the knowledge of the Spanish speaker's ability to know or speak English, and ascertain medical needs. There will be a discussion on officer safety concerns with an emphasis on body language dangers.  Culture and customs will be discussed to minimize misunderstandings and predict some behavioral patterns by Latinos.  

There will be a testing component to the course. This will be a scenario that will have mandated components that must be met. 


Core Competencies
  • Participants will be able to determine a Spanish speaker's state of mind and English proficiency by applying their acquired language skills.  
  • Participants will develop rapport with Spanish speakers by recognizing cultural and language cues within the context of a Law Enforcement contact.  
  • Participants will be able to safely conduct a traffic stop, gather vital information for reports and obtain medical needs in Spanish.    

Who should attend
  • Patrol Officers
  • Detectives
  • Supervisors
  • Telecommunicators
  • Detention Officers

Methodologies
  • Lecture
  • Group Discussions with Video/Audio Analysis 
  • Practical Exercises and Scenarios

Course Requirements
  • 100% Attendance
  • Complete a practical exercise and written exam with a combined score of 80% or better. 

Primary Course Objectives
  • Participants will apply rules for Spanish pronunciation. 
  • Participants will demonstrate knowledge of the Spanish alphabet, months, colors and times to obtain vital information to include in reports. 
  • Participants will identify common Spanish greetings and various cultures.
  • The participant will demonstrate knowledge of basic medical needs using acquired Spanish speaking skills. 
  • Participants will demonstrate knowledge by using Spanish phrases for scene control, officer safety tactics, traffic stops and arrest procedures.  
Fitness Level Necessary for Successful Completion: Sedentary


Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend University of Kansas sponsored events. If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in an event, please email KLETC or call 620.694.1400 at least three weeks before the first day of the event. Some events may require notice earlier than three weeks and require you contact a specific individual; if so, that information is provided in the event-specific information.

Noticeof Availability of the KLETC Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

 TheUniversity of Kansas has determined that the Kansas Law Enforcement TrainingCenter (KLETC) main campus in Hutchinson and its regional sites in Dodge City,Hays, and Parsons are separate campuses. This determination was made inconsultation with the Department of Education. The report is available onlineat: https://civilrights.ku.edu/clery.

 The report contains information regarding campus safety andsecurity including topics such as: campus law enforcement authority; crimereporting policies; campus alerts (Timely Warnings and EmergencyNotifications); fire safety policies and procedures; programs to prevent sexualassault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking; the procedures theinstitution will follow when one of these crimes is reported; and other mattersof importance related to security on campus. The report also containsinformation about crime statistics for the three most recent calendar yearsconcerning reported crimes that occurred On-Campus; in On-Campus StudentHousing Facilities; in Non-Campus buildings or property owned or controlled bythe institution or a recognized student organization; and on Public Propertywithin, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The reportalso contains fire statistics for any fires occurring in an On-Campus StudentHousing Facility during the three most recent calendar years.

 A paper copy of the reportwill be provided upon request. If you would like to receive a paper copy, youcan request that a copy be mailed to you by calling 785-864-6414 or emailing civilrights@ku.edu or arrange for pick-upat a KLETC location.


Available sessions

This course contains no sessions
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