Stephanie: Police Officer Leading with English and Farsi

Meet Stephanie—a Second Lieutenant supervising the Language Skills Support Unit and the Office of Data Analytics & Strategic Initiatives at the Fairfax County Police Department in Virginia.

Understanding and embracing language and cultural differences is something that is ingrained in me. The way I grew up gave me an invaluable perspective that I have carried forward throughout life and into my career in law enforcement.

Languages: English and Farsi

Grew Up In: Fairfax, Virginia

College & Concentrations: Governmental Administration at Christopher Newport University

Could you share about your earliest experiences with languages? How have language and cultural skills since supported and/or enhanced your professional opportunities?

I grew up in a household that was multilingual. My mother is from Iran. She was the first person in her family to immigrate to the United States, where she met my father. Growing up, both English and Farsi were spoken at home. Additionally, my best friends are half Vietnamese and half American, and many of their Vietnamese family members lived in their household when they immigrated to the United States.

Understanding and embracing language and cultural differences is something that is ingrained in me. The way I grew up gave me an invaluable perspective that I have carried forward throughout life and into my career in law enforcement. It has allowed me to better serve the community as an officer, detective, and now as a supervisor overseeing the Language Skills Support Unit (LSSU). LSSU is a decentralized team comprised of sworn and professional personnel who aid with major crimes investigations and community events.

What advice would you share with current language learners or those considering studying a language?

Do it! Learning new languages opens so many doors and can only enrich your life. Learning new languages allows for connections to be made that could have otherwise been impossible. Learning another language also opens you up to a better understanding of cultures. No matter what profession ultimately calls to you, having that additional knowledge will prove itself useful at some point.

Why are language and cultural skills vital to those working in the criminal justice field? What languages are represented in your organization and how are they operationalized?

As Police Officers, when crime does occur, we are interacting with people at their most vulnerable moments. I know from personal experience that when someone is going through a crisis, they tend to revert to their native language. Being able to communicate via their native language can not only help provide them with an extra layer of comfort, but it can also reduce the amount of misunderstanding, allowing us to provide the best service possible.

Currently, the Fairfax County Police Department is providing a language proficiency stipend to speakers of 24 world languages: Amharic, Arabic, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Chinese, Dari, Farsi, Filipino, Hindi, Hungarian, Korean, Kurdish, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Somalian, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Turkish, Urdu, and Vietnamese. The ways in which we utilize these officers are vast and ever evolving. They assist when we receive calls for service from the community, during complex and serious investigations, to help with recruiting new officers within different communities, and during community events.

Do you have an interesting, moving, or humorous anecdote featuring your language or cultural skills to share?

Several years ago, I conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with multiple occupants. While I was at the driver’s window, a passenger began talking about my youthful appearance in Farsi. I then responded in Farsi with thanks. A look of shock quickly morphed into excitement. The subsequent conversation and laugh are something that still tickles me to this day.

Check out our Connect with Persian page—or explore another language of your choosing—for information about university programs, scholarship opportunities, testimonials, and more! And be sure to explore how languages enhance careers across different roles in the Law Enforcement sector.

Then tell us how you put your language skills to work @LangConnectsFdn on social media.

Know a multilingual professional who's using language skills in their work or career? Refer them to us for consideration in an upcoming Professional Profile.