(WSBT) The west side of South Bend has a growing Hispanic population. But the barriers between the people who live there and the police patrolling the areas can create conflict. That's why police are working with local Hispanics, hoping to break down those barriers.

Police and community members formed the Hispanic Outreach Committee in 2006. After learning about a rise in Latino gangs in Elkhart and Goshen, they wanted to prevent that from happening in South Bend. Now they're trying to bridge the gap between the police department and the Hispanic community.

"We don't expect to solve all the problems," Manuel Villegas told WSBT. "But the least we can expect from them is their attention."

Hispanic business owners like the Taste of Mexico's Villegas are getting a lot more attention from South Bend police lately.

One of those officers is Sgt. Christopher Voros. He takes Spanish-translated fliers from the department's Crime Prevention Unit and gives them to local business owners.

Police say crime is vastly under-reported in the Latino community.

"In Mexico and a lot of other Spanish-speaking countries, the police are really distrusted," explained Sgt. Voros. "So when people immigrate to the United States, they bring these biases with them."

Voros heads up South Bend's Hispanic Outreach Committee with Juan Hernandez, a Hispanic resident. Voros says even speaking in broken Spanish helps build that trust and break down the biases. That's why more than 30 South Bend officers took a Spanish class to help them learn about the culture, the customs and the language.

"If we get to a call and we can't understand what the person is saying to us, we're not being effective," Voros said.

"They make us feel that we can trust the police because a lot of times it's a little distant between the police and the businesses," explained Taste of Mexico co-owner Manuel Villegas.

Villegas is also working with police and local Hispanic kids to paint a mural on a wall outside his restaurant. By next summer, passers-by will see the Flag of Mexico next to an American flag, and clasped hands, representing the joining of the cultures.

Sgt. Voros also oversees the Weed and Seed program — where police work overtime patrolling certain neighborhoods. He says he's been able to focus those patrols on specific areas since they started communicating with local businesses.