Certified Instructors

Luis is currently retired from the Pennsylvania State Police and is working as an independent contractor teaching “Survival Spanish” for Law Enforcement and also interpreting for the Yuba City School District in Yuba City California.

Spanish Interpreter Yuba City School District Yuba City, CA 09/2009 - Present

Partners In Training Consultants Spanish Instructor 06/2011 - Present

Pennsylvania State Police Lancaster, Pa US 10/1987 - 8/2008

Experience:

• Patrol Officer
• Undercover Officer
• Airport Interdiction Officer
• Intelligence Officer
• Undercover Officer's School at Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
• Partners In Training Consultants Spanish Instructor Training Program Hershey, Pa, (June, 2007)
• Pennsylvania State Police Instructor Development Training Hershey, Pa, (September, 2007)

Education:

• Yuba College, Marysville, CA US / General Education
• Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, Pa Management & Accounting Courses
• Harrisburg, Area Community College Lancaster, Pa /A+ Computer Training.

Doug learned and used Spanish throughout High School and College. He began his Government service as an instructor with the US Customs Language Program at San Ysidro, California. For over 30 years, he utilized his Spanish knowledge and abilities daily, while simultaneously learning about the Latino Culture and habits.

He retired as a Customs Inspector after 30 years of federal service, 25 of which at the Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona where he was an inspector in both Cargo and Passenger Processing. Ten of those years he also served as an Intelligence Analyst for the Nogales Customs Inspections and Criminal Investigations Divisions.

Doug began working with PITC in 2004 and has taught over 800 hours of Immersion classes as well as many hours of Survival Spanish for Law Enforcement.

Doug was an instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in the Law Enforcement Spanish Training Program.

He graduated from Purdue University with a BA in English Education.

Brandon Thomas is a law enforcement officer with over 20 years of experience with the Champaign, Illinois Police Department. Brandon currently serves as a Patrol Sergeant for the department after serving 10 years as a School Resource Officer in the city’s most culturally diverse high school. Brandon credits his Spanish language skills not only for his assignment to the SRO position, but also for his continued success in law enforcement. Brandon began his training with José Alentado in 1998 when he attended the 3-day Basic Spanish Survival for Law Enforcement course, followed by the level 2 and the Advanced Total Spanish Immersion course in Hermosillo, Mexico (March 2003). Brandon certified as an instructor later that same year and went on to teach the Basic course at venues across the country. Brandon teamed with Adam Chacon in teaching at the Police Training Institute, as well as teaching the Spanish for Office and Service Professionals course developed by Adam. As a result of his training and skill set, in September 2006, Brandon was tapped by the FBI to assist them in locating and rescuing the victim of a confirmed kidnapping and ransom. The victim, his family, and the primary kidnapper all spoke Spanish as their primary language. It was profound experience for all of those involved, culminating in the rescue of the victim and the arrests and convictions of his two abductors.

Ariel Torres was the only one in his family born in the continental US. His family originated from Puerto Rico and he attend first through sixth grades in Puerto Rico. He retired from the Pennsylvania State Police Trooper after 25 of service. While with the PSP, he served in the following capacities:

• Patrol
• Vehicle fraud investigator
• Field training officer
• Troop education officer
• Academy instructor
• Commercial vehicle enforcement.

He has a Bachelor in Criminal Justice and was certified by Partners In Training Consultants Spanish Instructor Training Program in June 2007 and has taught our Spanish program to PSP Members, Dispatchers, Municipal Police Officers, State Correctional Officers and Liquor Control Enforcement Officers.

He also assisted with interpreting and/or translating with numerous investigations such as Homicides, Robberies, Rapes, Assaults, various types of Criminal and/or Patrol Incidents, Confidential Investigations and Wires.

Prior to his career with PSP, he worked as a Correctional Officer and Juvenile Probation & Parole Officer.