Framingham PD Hopes to 'Reflect the Community It Serves'

FRAMINGHAM, MA- Framingham police want to bolster the diversity within the department and specifically break down communication barriers with the city's growing Latino community.

In an interview, Chief Trask said he hopes to recruit more bilingual officers and increase the diversity within the department to "reflect the community we serve." He was recently praised by the Mayor in her State of the City address for his promotion of the department's first bilingual Deputy Chief, which is a step in the right direction.

When it comes to reflecting the community, the department is similar in that the majority of its officers and superior officers are white. 80 percent of department-sworn officers are white as well as 70 percent of superior officers compared to 73 percent of residents who are white, according to the 2010 Census.

The department doesn't quite match up to the city's statistics when it comes to others races and ethnicities. Just 10 percent of department-sworn officers and an even smaller 7 percent of superior officers are Hispanic or Latino, whereas 16.3 percent of Framingham residents identified as Hispanic or Latino in the latest census.

The gap is just as noticeable with black and African American officers. Just 3.8 percent of department-sworn officers and 7 percent of superior officers are black or African American, compared to the 6.7 percent of black or African American residents. The city's asian community is also underrepresented, making up 7.8 percent of residents but only 0.8 percent of department-sworn officers and no superior officers at all.

Women are also a minority in the department, making up just over half of the population and just 11.5 percent of department-sworn in officers and 7 percent of superior officers.

With a large and growing Hispanic and Latino population, communication and language barriers can hinder the formation of trustworthy bonds between the community and police. Liliane Costa is the Executive Director of Framingham's Brazilian American Center, BRACE, and vocal advocate for the city's Brazilian community. Costa said as far as she's seen, the police have treated the Brazilian community well but the language barrier affects how far the relationship can progress.

Framingham's police department has a total of 130 department-sworn officers and 27 superior officers. Costa said she knows just three officers on the force who speak Portuguese.

Communication means more than speaking the same language, Costa said. Residents need to feel they are able to talk to police without fear, she said, especially as fears of deportations rise. According to Costa, the most helpful thing the department could do is take the time to talk to residents and ease their fears. "They need to tell people they are not working with ICE and they will not deport them," she said, "lots of residents are worried and so afraid." With a more open communication line and alleviated fears, better policing can come to the communities that once feared police presence.

One way BRACE is working to act as the bridge between city officials and the Brazilian community is holding informational events like the one held last year. The Chief of Police, the Mayor and City Councilors were gathered to talk to the Brazilian community and explain their roles and how they work. "People were much calmer after that," Costa said.

The center plans on holding a similar even in April.

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Photo Credit: Samantha Mercado/ Patch Staff