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Main Page Mass. town hires Brazilian as dispatcher
(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: kwflatbed

The growth of the Brazilian community prompted police to recruit employees and officers who speak Portuguese.
By Tanya Pérez-Brennan
The Boston Globe

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.— Anne Camaro sat in front of three large computer screens at the Framingham Police Department's dispatch station. One screen automatically posted calls as they came in. Another was covered with maps of the town. The third listed on-duty officers. A microphone stood by her side, ready to be utilized in an emergency.
"It's the most stressful job in the department," said Lieutenant Paul Shastany, spokesman for the Framingham police. "This is key."
Camaro, 23, is the town's newest police dispatcher, and the first Brazilian to be hired as part of a recruiting effort to bring more Portuguese-speaking employees and officers into the department.
"It's historic," said Deputy Chief Craig Davis. "I don't think that five or 10 years ago we would be hiring someone who is Brazilian-born."
The growth of the Brazilian community prompted police to recruit employees and officers who speak Portuguese, Davis said. "It was such a nascent group in the community, and now it has swollen to a significant bloc."
Brazilians started arriving in Framingham in large numbers beginning in the early 1990s. Estimates of the numbers of Brazilians range from 14,000 to 20,000, but those figures do not take into account the numbers of undocumented immigrants, according to police.
Police started their outreach effort in March by printing and distributing fliers to churches and downtown businesses, urging qualified candidates to apply for positions, Shastany said.
This hiring effort also is an attempt to dispel what the police see as misconceptions about their role, Shastany said. "Part of the problem was that [the Brazilians] didn't trust officers because obviously a good part of the population is illegal."
Two high-profile cases perhaps could have been dealt with before tragedy struck had the Brazilian community reported what they knew to authorities, Shastany said.
In May of last year, a Brazilian woman and her 11-year-old son were killed in their Framingham apartment. The husband and father, Jeremy Bins, was charged with the murders. And in July of last year, a 24-year-old Brazilian woman died from complications related to a liposuction surgery she had undergone at an illegal domestic surgery clinic.
But some Brazilian activists say hiring a Portuguese-speaking officer or employee is not enough.
"We need people who have enough courage to penetrate the community," said Ilma Paixão, an activist with the Brazilian American Association, a local group that has helped police with outreach. "The right dialogue between police and the community can save lives."
Duarte Calvao, who has been with the department for 10 years, was born in Portugal. He said he has noticed an increased need to use his language skills over the years. Knowing Portuguese has helped him deal with such incidents as domestic disputes and child abduction cases.
"There are times if you speak a certain language, there's more of a bond," he said.
But police acknowledge that language is not the only factor.
"It's not just the language, it's the cultural nuances," Davis said. "We think it's important to get Brazilian-Americans, not just someone who speaks Portuguese."
The Police Department has five Portuguese-speaking officers on staff, Shastany said, but there are five more positions to be filled. Before doing any more hiring, police must wait for a list of eligible candidates who speak Portuguese from the state Human Resources Division. Candidates must go through a rigorous set of background checks, and physical and psychological testing. And once candidates graduate from the police academy and undergo the tests, they also must become citizens before becoming officers, police said.
Because of the bureaucratic nature of the process, it might take a year before the department can hire anyone, said Police Chief Steven B. Carl.
"It's not going to be as quick as we like," he said.
Camaro, who graduated with a degree in criminal justice from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, was hired in June. She is a permanent resident and knows she would need to attain citizenship to reach her goal of becoming a police officer.
As a dispatcher, knowing Portuguese has been helpful, she said. When people call the police station on behalf of someone else, it's usually because they don't speak English. Most of the time, they speak Portuguese, and she can quickly take over and get to the root of the problem.
"It's good, because sometimes people don't speak [English] or don't have access to an interpreter."

Wire Services

Posted by: SinePari

And so it begins.

Posted by: csauce777

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwflatbed

Brazilians started arriving in Framingham in large numbers beginning in the early 1990s. Estimates of the numbers of Brazilians range from 14,000 to 20,000, but those figures do not take into account the numbers of undocumented immigrants, according to police.

Read = Illegal Aliens...not "undocumented immigrants"

Posted by: phuzz01

I think that we should start hiring more bank robbers and sexual offenders, so that other bank robbers and sexual offenders will feel more comfortable reporting crimes to the police.

Posted by: Deputydog522

AWESOME, I agree! LOL

Posted by: Sniper

Who is driving her to work ??????? hahahaaa

Posted by: Inspector

While many on this blog may not agree, I commend Framingham for recognizing a need and taking steps to provide personnel needed to serve and protect a large block of the Portuguese speaking population there. If we are really to do the job correctly we need to communicate and build trust with all residents of our communities and provide those qualified every opportunity to join with us in providing needed services. This dispatcher is, I am sure, a fully documented person who is looking forward to becoming a citizen and possibly a police officer. I commend her for her work at U Mass Lowell and for filling this needed position.

Posted by: Irish Wampanoag

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inspector

While many on this blog may not agree, I commend Framingham for recognizing a need and taking steps to provide personnel needed to serve and protect a large block of the Portuguese speaking population there. If we are really to do the job correctly we need to communicate and build trust with all residents of our communities and provide those qualified every opportunity to join with us in providing needed services. This dispatcher is, I am sure, a fully documented person who is looking forward to becoming a citizen and possibly a police officer. I commend her for her work at U Mass Lowell and for filling this needed position.

Posted by: OutOfManyOne

Quote:

Originally Posted by phuzz01

I think that we should start hiring more bank robbers and sexual offenders, so that other bank robbers and sexual offenders will feel more comfortable reporting crimes to the police.

\
How can you compare felons to a group of people. As much as I do not agree with illegal immigrants I am sure that this person is here legally and entered the country through the lawful process.

Posted by: phuzz01

Quote:

Originally Posted by OutOfManyOne

How can you compare felons to a group of people. As much as I do not agree with illegal immigrants I am sure that this person is here legally and entered the country through the lawful process.

My statement was not directed towards the particular dispatcher mentioned in the article. It was directed towards people (especially politicians and police chiefs) who want to give safe haven to illegals so that they will not be afraid to report crimes. For example, this from the article:

"Part of the problem was that [the Brazilians] didn't trust officers because obviously a good part of the population is illegal."

Posted by: csauce777

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sniper

Who is driving her to work ??????? hahahaaa

Lol...those Brazilian licenses are cheap

Quote:

Originally Posted by phuzz01

Exactly...we should absolutely not be catering to illegals. Period.

Posted by: andy0921

Quote:

"It's good, because sometimes people don't speak [English] or don't have access to an interpreter."

Solution...

Posted by: Macop

I don't commend her, she went to college, graduated, and secured a job and is a productive member of society. She also is here legally and intends continue throught the correct process to be here permantely. That is not some great feat, that is the way shit is suppose to be done and I don't commend people for doing what they are suppose to do.

And if the American Brazillian Association is so concerned are they encouraging people, illegal or not to learn how to speak english, I doubt it.

Posted by: uspresident1

This is a disgrace. All this "equal oppurtunity employment and affirmative action" crap has got go. Instead of training a current employee to learn a new language or hiring the best candiate and teaching them spanish. Our administrators once again take the easy way out. Welcome to America where white males age 18 to 55 get the shaft because they are not the minority. But who knows maybe in 10 years when there's millions more illegals in the country we will be the minority and we can get all the government hiring perks.

Posted by: Macop

Hey, its not white males just getting the shaft its anyone born in this country or who is here legally that is getting the shaft to accomodate the illegals.

Posted by: mtc

I'd still question her allegiance.
What is she going to do when she pulls up an ICE deportation notification ?

Will she give that information to the officer? Or put it in the shredder?

It's not like there aren't more than a few "ordered removed" Brazillians buzzing about Framingham. It's only a matter of time.

Posted by: Barbrady

Quote:

Originally Posted by phuzz01

"Part of the problem was that [the Brazilians] didn't trust officers because obviously a good part of the population is illegal."

LOL, that is good reason to not trust officers

Posted by: HB7220PD

Quote:

Originally Posted by uspresident1

This is a disgrace. All this "equal oppurtunity employment and affirmative action" crap has got go. Instead of training a current employee to learn a new language or hiring the best candiate and teaching them spanish. Our administrators once again take the easy way out. Welcome to America where white males age 18 to 55 get the shaft because they are not the minority. But who knows maybe in 10 years when there's millions more illegals in the country we will be the minority and we can get all the government hiring perks.

Hey buddy, before you start with Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, learn how to spell. Secondly if you want to have a nice long discussion about the particular subject, let me know because I will be glad to shut you down, and find out what kind of background you got going. You want to be a bigot that's fine, but don't make comments like that when you don't know what you are talking about. I bet you are that person that loves to Racial Profile. Looks for the Brown and Black folks, cites them and then takes care of his own. Let me know when you are ready, because I am.

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