Los Angeles Police Department
Hispanic Outreach El Protector Azul

CALIFORNIA

PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS PROGRAM AREA(S)
  Targets hard-to-reach/at risk population   Police Traffic Services
       
TYPE OF JURISDICTION    
  City    
       
TARGETED POPULATION(S) JURISDICTION SIZE
  Hispanic Americans   900,000


PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Of the more than 900,000 people who live or commute through the South-Central and San Pedro-Wilmington areas of Los Angeles, California, at least 50 percent speak Spanish as a primary language and have little or no English-speaking proficiency. In 1994, the South Traffic Division of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), which provides traffic enforcement and education for these areas, reported that 65 percent of the total number of traffic crashes involved at least one party with an Hispanic surname. In addition, 68 percent of the total DUI arrests made during 1994 involved individuals with an Hispanic surname; with over 80 percent of DUI arrests made at checkpoints involving Hispanic drivers.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
In 1995, the LAPD initiated the Hispanic Outreach/El Protector Azul program to help reduce the incidence of crash-related injuries and fatalities involving the Hispanic population. The objectives of the program included the following:

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
El Protector Azul translated into English, means The Blue Protector. El Protector Azul is a multifaceted outreach program targeting the Hispanic community in the South-Central and San Pedro-Wilmington areas of Los Angeles. The program is based on the El Protector program currently used by the California Highway Patrol, and features education by a Spanish-speaking officer, who promotes a positive image of the Hispanic driver who cares for his family by taking responsibility for traffic safety.

El Protector Azul has presented traffic safety workshops throughout the South Traffic Division's Hispanic community in 1995 and 1996, reaching well over 10,000 individuals through area schools, at parks, in churches, at neighborhood watch meetings, and through the Hispanic media such as television programs and newspapers.

RESULTS
The results of the El Protector Azul during the past two years, have shown some encouraging statistics:

  • During the first year of the program, numbers of traffic crash reports involving Hispanic individuals dropped from 65 percent in 1994 to 29.4 percent in 1995
  • During the first year of the program, DUI arrests of Hispanic motorists declined from 68 percent in 1994 to 48.4 percent in 1995
  • Alcohol-related collisions involving Hispanic drivers decreased from 68 percent in 1994 to 58.2 percent in 1995
  • 74,551 Spanish-speaking students attended 151 educational presentations
  • At 27 sobriety checkpoints stopping 21,853 vehicles, 5,244 vehicles were detained and 195 drivers arrested for DUI
  • In 1995, 13.8 percent of the total hazardous citations issued by law enforcement officers were for seat belt violations

FUNDING
  Section 402:

$404,232

CONTACT  
  Louis Hernandez
South Traffic Division
Los Angeles Police Department
150 N. Los Angeles Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 485-7743

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Summer 1997