Some foreigners may be too timid to interact widely with persons outside their immediate community and linguistic group. They may fear the police. Police as professionals should earn and develop the confidence of the migrant or non-English speaking person. Regardless of perception of guilt, differing cultural values and national origin, officers should acknowledge the humanity of those they encounter. It can be very frustrating for an officer to carry out a professional investigation if his communication or attitude is misinterpreted by the victim, witness or suspect.
Ongoing training is crucial to learn about differing cultural perspectives.
Understanding these perspectives can enhance the officer's personal safety during escalation of any tensions. Officers should be aware that the foreign born may have misconceptions about the police and judicial system. They may be completely ignorant of the American judicial system as well as their own. The presumption of innocence is not part of many other judicial systems. Often, communities of immigrant populations are highly cohesive and rumors of problems with any police officer are perceived to affect the entire community.