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A new program within Security recognizes officers who speak more than one language with pins listing the names of the languages they speak.
“The pins help us to better communicate with people,” Bill Tobin, branch manager of Securitas Security Services at BWH, said. “We often deal with people who are confused, lost or under stress. If they speak languages other than English and can’t communicate with anyone, their anxiety increases.”
The language pins inform the public that an officer speaks a language in addition to English, and can help if a communication need arises. They allow officers to better assist people while on duty.
For example, a woman who arrived for an ultrasound at BWH argued in Spanish with her husband. As the situation escalated, police arrived and were poised to ask the couple’s young daughter, who spoke English, to translate the argument. Instead, a BWH security officer on the scene was able to translate from Spanish to English, taking the daughter out of the uncomfortable position of choosing which parent to side with, and putting everyone at ease.
“Communication is crucial to de-escalating a tense situation,” Tobin said. “Our job is to assure a safe environment, and the ability of the Security staff to use second language skills is one of the tools that helps us do our job with professionalism and pride.”
In addition to Spanish, officers speak Haitian Creole, Portuguese, French Creole, French, Arabic, Italian and Greek.