Vietnamese, Chinese, Cambodian, and Spanish are some of the many languages spoken across the Port Arthur Police Department [PAPD], and officials want to make sure that their staff reflects this diverse community.
"PAPD has stepped up to that challenge in hiring diverse officers," says sergeant Lam Nguyen, who has served in the police department for over 10 years.
For Sargent Nguyen, reaching out to others in their native language is something he does every day.
"Being able to go to that community and relate, you have that rapport with the citizens that speak your language, they open up more," Sargeant Nguyen says.
This demographic change seen across the city is also reflected throughout its police force.
According to the last United States Census in 2010, out of more than 55 thousand people living in Port Arthur, about 3 thousand are of Asian descent and 15 thousand Hispanic or Latino.
7 thousand people identify themselves as "some other race", and close to 1 thousand considered themselves 2 races or more.
"We want our department to reflect our community," says Police Chief Patrick Melvin
"The community has made that clear to us and we will always look for ways to increase the diversity and professionalism in our department," he explains.
"It means a whole lot, you help people you won't be able to reach before," Sgt. Nguyen says.
"People won't call you unless you speak the language, and that's huge," he explains.
If you're interested in joining the Port Arthur Police Department, you can call LT. Jeremy Lloyd at (409) 983-8633 for more information.
CLICK HERE to learn what it takes to become a Port Arthur Police Officer.