ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : A Friendly Face for Police

Fighting crime is never an easy job, but it’s much more difficult in Orange County’s Southeast-Asian community.

Many residents fear the very law-enforcement officers sworn to protect them; their memories of corrupt and cruel police in their homelands are bitter. Partly because of this fear, and also because of language problems, recruitment of Southeast-Asian law-enforcement officers is extremely difficult.

For example, the Sheriff’s Department has no Southeast-Asian officers on patrol, although several are rising up the ranks. Santa Ana’s Police Department has done a little better--it reports having seven Vietnamese officers on the beat. Other police departments have few or none, and the problem may take years to correct. In the meantime, gang-related crimes are on the upswing in communities where Southeast-Asian immigrants have settled.

Last week, the Orange County Human Relations Commission and the U.S. Justice Department took a commendable step when they brought together about 200 law-enforcement officers, government officials and civic leaders to exchange ideas on ways to overcome cultural barriers between the police and the community. The conference was held in Garden Grove’s Little Saigon--the heart of the Southeast-Asian community.

Many of the good suggestions--police substations, anonymous hot lines, bilingual programs, Asian advisory committees and special liaisons who keep in regular contact with business owners--will be included in a report to the Justice Department for distribution throughout the nation. Some already have been put into action in Orange County.

A 1989 Times poll indicated that Southeast Asians overwhelmingly consider gangs and violent crime their biggest problem in Orange County. It will take awhile, but last week’s conference shows that law enforcement is looking for new ways to address the problem, which is what is needed and the sooner the better.