One of the oldest maxims of law enforcement is “to serve and protect."
A newly hired Elwood officer and certified interpreter wants to make sure that motto is extended to non-English speakers in Madison County.
John Davis, an Elwood native and volunteer police officer for the past two years, will start as a part-time officer this week as part of the Elwood Police Department’s Hispanic outreach program. With Spanish speakers representing an increasing segment of the population, officers with Davis’ skill set are becoming quite valuable. Even in areas like Madison County where the Hispanic population is relatively low, law enforcement needs conduits to communicate with every resident.
For Davis, the importance of reaching Spanish speakers is a personal mission.
Davis learned Spanish during his youth while he was in and out of foster homes and child services care. His mother struggled with alcohol and drug-addiction problems and was sent to prison when he was very young. The responsibility of raising Davis fell largely to himself, but while he was in foster care, he met many Spanish-speaking children who taught him not only their language, but their culture. He said he also often had bilingual parents, so learning another language became second nature.
He also spent time in Galveston, Texas, as a child, and continued to cultivate his knowledge of Spanish among the large Mexican-American population in the Lone Star state.
Now Davis wants to use this opportunity in law enforcement to give back to the Spanish-speaking community that gave him so much.”