Cleveland police learn about diversity

When a police officer detains someone with four names, including two last names, that information can often get lost in the database.

In order to avoid such confusion, as well as to learn more about the growing Hispanic population in the area, about a dozen Cleveland Police Department officers are participating in the last of six sessions to help police officers understand cultural diversity, the first time such classes have been taught to the department.

“We have an influx of Latinos in this area, and it’s steadily growing,” said Cleveland police spokeswoman Officer Evie West, whose father is from Mexico and who is teaching the classes.

“It’s important to really diversify our community, and especially the workers that are in it such as police officers, so they can understand the reasons of culture and how that ties to why people do the things they do,” she said.

A Hispanic might not look the officer in the eye perhaps because they don’t trust him, she said, or they might get closer to officers or touch them because it’s part of their culture.

“Even the simple things such as eye contact or touching you, especially in law enforcement, we don’t necessarily see it as a good thing someone touching us, or not looking at us in the eye is a sign of lying or deception,” said Officer Brandon West, who’s married to Evie West.

“So if you have an idea of what’s criminally based and what’s culturally based, you have a better idea of how to talk to people and solve crimes,” he said.

Hispanics make up less than 4 percent — about 3,500 people — of the total population in Bradley County, according to latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates, although Hispanic counts tend to be lower because of low participation.

Only two of 93 officers in the Cleveland department are bilingual, said Officer Evie West.

“Knowing how to deal with certain situations if we have to go into a house, for me it’s interesting to know what they might be thinking,” said Officer Daniel Leamon.

In the end, though, the law is enforced the same regardless of ethnicity, he said.

For Officer Travis Graig, knowing how to classify last names was an insightful part of the class.

“The challenge itself is trying to relate to people from so many different cultures,” he said. “It’s all different so all of it is a challenge.”

Bradley County is home to people from more than a dozen countries, including Russia and India. Next year’s training will focus on Middle Eastern cultures, Officer Evie West said.