Woman standing at whiteboard teaching Spanish to officers

Spanish for Law Enforcement Course

Whether you’re conducting a traffic stop, taking a statement, issuing instructions, or de-escalating a tense encounter, knowing key Spanish phrases can make all the difference in ensuring public safety and building community trust. Spanish for Law Enforcement is designed to equip you with the Spanish vocabulary and practical skills needed to handle real-life law enforcement situations.

Course Overview

Offered through a partnership between the Tennessee Language Center and the Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC), our Spanish for Law Enforcement course is designed with law enforcement professionals in mind. Through scenario-based instruction and hands-on practice, you’ll learn to:

  • Conduct basic interviews in Spanish
  • Give clear commands and instructions
  • Ask essential questions in emergencies
  • Use proper pronunciation and grammar
  • Understand cultural context for better community engagement

This is not a general Spanish course—it’s focused, functional training developed to meet the real-world needs of officers on the job.

Officers learn essential phrases, commands, and interview techniques to communicate effectively during traffic stops, arrests, domestic violence, medical emergencies, and other common law enforcement scenarios. The class is highly participative, and the participants will engage in pair and group work, memorization games, and hands-on and act-out activities – all designed to help create a fun and effective language learning environment. Given the growing Spanish-speaking population in Tennessee, this training is part of a proactive approach by law enforcement agencies to break down language barriers,  further community relationships, and improve safety.

Who Should Take This Course?

Woman and officers standing in Spanish classThis course is ideal for:

  • Police officers
  • Sheriffs and deputies
  • Correctional officers
  • Probation officers
  • Emergency responders
  • Court security personnel
  • Campus law enforcement

No prior Spanish knowledge is necessary.

Currently, costs for the class are funded by the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs (OCJP) Violent Crime Intervention Fund (VCIF) program.

For more information, email worldlanguages@tennessee.edu.