The Tulsa Police Department is facing a “big challenge” in hiring more Spanish-speaking officers, according to Tulsa Police Department Control Commander Mark Ohnesorge.
During an Oct. 9 meeting of the Greater Tulsa Area Hispanic/Latinx Affairs Commission, Ohnesorge said the 75 bilingual officers currently employed by TPD make up less than 10% of the department. He added that TPD’s language stipend is “lower” than others, and increasing it could help attract more Spanish-speaking recruits.
TPD launched its Spanish Citizen’s Police Academy (CPA) in October after receiving 75 applications for only 30 open spots. Residents learn about TPD’s various operations, including use of force, firearms training and other procedures.
The four-week program is a condensed version of the standard eight-week course and relies on Spanish-speaking officers from specialized units to lead sessions.
“There’s a big disconnect with the Hispanic community,” Officer Ana Parga, a police recruiter helping organize the program, previously told the Flyer’s Angelica Perez. “I think we’re getting fewer 911 calls from the Hispanic community. A lot of people are afraid with everything that’s going on.”
Parga said the program includes presentations from officers in the homicide, crime scene and domestic violence units to explain how their divisions file and process reports.
This was informed by Heidi Goodnough’s Documenter notes from the Oct. 9 Greater Tulsa Area Hispanic/Latinx Affairs Commission meeting. If you’re interested in becoming a Documenter, visit us at documenters.org.
