Round Lake Park cops starting program targeted at immigrants

Round Lake Park police are about to start a program designed to make local immigrants who aren't fluent in English more comfortable approaching law-enforcement authorities.

Under the initiative starting May 4, police officers fluent in Spanish and other foreign languages will be available to discuss community issues at the Mano a Mano Family Resource Center from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays. The center is at 6 E. Main St., Round Lake Park.

Questions about street gangs, local ordinances, traffic tickets and filing for an order of protection are among those expected to be fielded by the officer in a relaxed setting.

Mano a Mano Executive Director Carolina Duque said while most of the agency's clients speak only Spanish, other ethnic groups can benefit from the program. She said having a police officer available at the agency will be helpful.

"I think many of our clients are intimidated and don't know how things work," Duque said Tuesday.

Round Lake Park Police Chief George Filenko will be one of participants, but he won't handle the Spanish-speaking duties. Instead, he said, he'll be at Mano a Mano for visitors who speak Serbian, Russian, Ukranian, Polish and Croatian.

Filenko said the Mano a Mano officer resource initiative will run at least three months before an evaluation is made.

"It's going to take a while for the word to get out," said Filenko.

Mano a Mano's stated goal is to empower immigrant and underserved Lake County families by getting them to become full participants in American life through various services and educational programs such as English as a Second Language.

For information, call Mano a Mano at (847) 201-1521.