Vista Sheriff's Station lacks Spanish speakers

By: ANNE RILEY-KATZ - Staff Writer | Wednesday, August 3, 2005 9:43 PM PDT ∞

VISTA ---- Though none of the deputies patrolling the streets of Vista speaks fluent Spanish, the lack of bilingual first-responders played no role in the recent shooting deaths of three Latino men by Vista sheriff's deputies, authorities said Wednesday.

The three men ---- shot in separate incidents over a five-day stretch ---- each spoke English, said Lt. Hernando Torres of the Vista Sheriff's Station.

On Thursday, deputies fatally shot Sergio Garcia Vasquez. The man had filed a missing person's report and spoken in English with deputies the previous day, sheriff's officials said.

On Friday, Jorge Ramirez was fatally shot by deputies who were pursuing him as a suspect in an armed robbery of a Shadowridge Circle K gas station and convenience store. Ramirez had a criminal record, and court documents show statements made by Ramirez in English.

On Monday, deputies fatally shot Jesus "Chuy" Eduardo Manzo as he fled from authorities. Manzo graduated from Vista High School in 2000 and had lived in the community for several years.

A community meeting for residents to discuss the shootings has been scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at a Vista location to be announced later this week, city officials said.

Torres said that while Vista lacks Spanish-speaking deputies, communication gaps are overcome daily by deputies on the street.

"Most deputies have a basic knowledge of some Spanish phrases, and the uniform itself is a universal symbol," Torres said. "It's common sense ---- running away when deputies are yelling at you is the worst thing you can do."

Of the 49 sheriff's deputies assigned to patrol Vista, none is bilingual, according to sheriff's officials. There are nine deputies assigned to traffic, 32 assigned to patrol, and eight assigned to the Vista Sheriff's Station's Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving unit.

"We are in desperate need of Spanish speakers to better reach out to the community," Torres said. "Right now, we just improvise based on what we have."

The Vista station has two community service officers and two detectives who are bilingual, as well as a handful of office workers and higher-ranking officers.

Two of the recent trio of deputy-involved killings took place in Vista's Townsite neighborhood, a low-income, predominantly Latino area near the city center, populated with many residents who speak only Spanish.

More than 39 percent of Vista's 95,500 residents are Latino.

Though authorities say a language barrier did not play any role in the shootings, Torres said there is an "absolute need" for Spanish speakers on patrol so the department can effectively communicate with residents who don't speak English.

There are three deputies assigned to the Vista Townsite Substation, which operates out of a small converted house adjoining Townsite Park. None of the deputies assigned to the station is bilingual, though an employee who works in the front office is a native Spanish speaker.

Deputy Matt Stevens, who is assigned to the station, said only a handful of people come into the Townsite office on a daily basis. He estimated that fewer than 10 crimes or incidents a month are reported to the deputies in Townsite. The station is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

"I think people are afraid, probably because there are a lot of illegal immigrants in the area, and in the city, who think that we're going to deport them immediately," Stevens said. "We need them to know we're here to keep the area safe, that they can come in to us to report things."

Torres said the station has tried to recruit volunteer translators to cope with the shortage, but so far, the screening process has eliminated all candidates.

Four recent applicants ---- some college students ---- were rejected when they failed a required background check, Torres said.

All department volunteers must pass background checks, and those who express interest in using language skills on the job will be interviewed in Spanish and asked to read and translate written materials.

"If it's this difficult for us to get qualified volunteers, you can only imagine how hard it is with deputies," Torres said.

Some bilingual workers who might qualify to work as a deputy also are recruited for higher-paying jobs in the private sector, Torres said.

The Sheriff's Department pays bilingual officers an additional 40 cents an hour at the deputy pay scale, according to a department spokesman.

"There are other jobs that pay more for those skills, so people get lured away," Torres said. "This isn't easy work."

City Council members have called for an immediate increase in Spanish-speaking personnel, and city outreach workers have applauded department recruiting efforts.

"In the recent incidents, it wouldn't have made a difference, but it's always nice to be able to communicate with people in the language that they speak, particularly from a law enforcement perspective," said Kathy Valdez, the city's community outreach programs manager. "I think there has been a good effort to get those people into the department, but it can be hard to bring them in."

Valdez said ongoing outreach efforts, such as meetings with residents at local apartment complexes and mobile-home parks, help establish trust in local law enforcement.

"It helps both citizens and law enforcement to have the sheriffs come out so people can recognize their faces and do so in a positive setting," Valdez said.

Contact staff writer Anne Riley-Katz at (760) 631-6622 or ariley-katz@nctimes.com.