Police plan to add an Asian liaison officer
Officials seek to match resources with county’s changing demographics
The Howard County Police Department is poised to hire its first-ever Asian liaison officer, a newly budgeted position that officials say is an effort match resources to the county’s changing demographics.
Howard’s Asian population grew to an estimated 18.3 percent of county residents in 2016, compared to 14.4 percent in 2010, according to U.S. census data. The county’s Korean population in particular makes up a sizable portion of that population at nearly 30 percent, according to 2010 census data.
Funding for the new position was approved July 1 as part of the fiscal 2018 county operating budget.
Sherry Llewellyn, police spokeswoman, said the liaison will be responsible for developing programs, community policing, training activities and crime prevention efforts specifically related to the needs of the county’s Asian population, In the department’s budget request for the position, written by Police Chief Gary Gardner and the department’s community outreach division, the department specifically mentioned its rean Society of Maryland and that the department has been “proactively reaching out to the Korean community to further foster a strong relationship.”
County Executive Allan Kittleman noted in his budget letter that the officer will work specifically with the county’s Korean community to build trust.
The position is a full-time post with a salary of $53,804, according to county spokesman Mark Miller.
The new position joins an existing multicultural liaison position in the department, which was first implemented in 2007, Llewellyn said. The department also has a senior citizen liaison officer, youth liaison officer and mental health liaison officer.
Jenny Baik, the multicultural director for the Korean Society of Maryland, said one of the major aspects of its partnership efforts is to help facilitate communication between Korean residents, particularly first-generation individuals who may have limited English-speaking skills, and public safety officials.
Baik said she would like to see the Howard County position used to help break down language and cultural barriers even more. “An incident occurs, and what might be normal to us might not seem normal to the police department,” she said.
The budget request for the position mentions of the importance of breaking down language and communication barriers that can be problematic.
Llewellyn said foreign language skills are not necessary a prerequisite for the position, and that all candidates would be considered equally.
Steve Jang, senior vice president of the Korean Society of Maryland, who immigrated to the United States from Korea 10 years ago, said he believes the officer hired for the position “absolutely needs to be fluent” in an Asian language.
Jang said for many first generation individuals like himself, a bilingual officer could be greatly beneficial in helping to ease anxieties about contacting the Police Department.
Howard’s Asian population grew to an estimated 18.3 percent of county residents in 2016, compared to 14.4 percent in 2010, according to U.S. census data. The county’s Korean population in particular makes up a sizable portion of that population at nearly 30 percent, according to 2010 census data.
Funding for the new position was approved July 1 as part of the fiscal 2018 county operating budget.
Sherry Llewellyn, police spokeswoman, said the liaison will be responsible for developing programs, community policing, training activities and crime prevention efforts specifically related to the needs of the county’s Asian population, In the department’s budget request for the position, written by Police Chief Gary Gardner and the department’s community outreach division, the department specifically mentioned its rean Society of Maryland and that the department has been “proactively reaching out to the Korean community to further foster a strong relationship.”
County Executive Allan Kittleman noted in his budget letter that the officer will work specifically with the county’s Korean community to build trust.
The position is a full-time post with a salary of $53,804, according to county spokesman Mark Miller.
The new position joins an existing multicultural liaison position in the department, which was first implemented in 2007, Llewellyn said. The department also has a senior citizen liaison officer, youth liaison officer and mental health liaison officer.
Jenny Baik, the multicultural director for the Korean Society of Maryland, said one of the major aspects of its partnership efforts is to help facilitate communication between Korean residents, particularly first-generation individuals who may have limited English-speaking skills, and public safety officials.
Baik said she would like to see the Howard County position used to help break down language and cultural barriers even more. “An incident occurs, and what might be normal to us might not seem normal to the police department,” she said.
The budget request for the position mentions of the importance of breaking down language and communication barriers that can be problematic.
Llewellyn said foreign language skills are not necessary a prerequisite for the position, and that all candidates would be considered equally.
Steve Jang, senior vice president of the Korean Society of Maryland, who immigrated to the United States from Korea 10 years ago, said he believes the officer hired for the position “absolutely needs to be fluent” in an Asian language.
Jang said for many first generation individuals like himself, a bilingual officer could be greatly beneficial in helping to ease anxieties about contacting the Police Department.
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