Ask the Chief: Communication key to protecting rights - Republican Eagle

-

Submit your question to askthe.policechief@ci.red-wing.mn.us.

Q: What do police officers do when you pull over someone who doesn't speak English?

A: Great question. In law enforcement it is essential to provide fair and consistent service to all members of our community, whether they speak English, a different language, or has a hearing impairment.

Effective communication is critical to the protection of individual's constitutional rights and personal safety of all involved. We also must be conscious of the sensitivities related to victim privacy, while maintaining transparency with our community.

The Red Wing Police Department has coordinated 24 hour, seven days a week access to Language Line. Language Line provides interpreting services through a Minnesota State contract, which is administered through Minnesota IT Services or MNIT. This program allows us access to over 240 different languages.

Most recently I utilized Language Line when I received a voicemail message in Spanish. I was able to record the message, contact Language Line, using my access code and requesting the language requiring interpretation. A person then came on the phone and listened to the message, providing me an interpretation.

This phone call also wanted a callback, so I was able to return the call while the interpreter was still on the line with me, thereby meeting the needs of our caller. Officers on patrol have the same availability, using the speaker function on their squad equipped cellular phones.

We have also experimented with interpreter apps on our smartphones, which can help in general contacts, they are still not as accurate as an actual interpreter. For situations that are planned in advance, RWPD has access to a list of interpreters that are vetted in advance for assisting with criminal (suspect, victim or witness) interviews if needed.

Lastly, RWPD has a policy that provides guidance in communicating with the hearing impaired, which also requires familiarity with "Communicating with People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: ADA Guide for Law Enforcement Officers."

References

1. Language Line, located online at: https://www.languageline.com/

2. Department of Justice publication, Communicating with People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: ADA Guide for Law Enforcement Officers. Located online at: https://www.ada.gov/lawenfcomm.htm



http://bit.ly/2Wp0hP7

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Well-liked Medicare plan vs. higher-ranked providers - ChicagoNow

-
Image
Medicare Open Enrollment ends December 7. The easy choice is to stay with all-in-one Medicare Advantage instead of switching to Traditional Medicare plus a supplement and drug plan. The hard one is whether to switch between Medicare Advantage plans, from a well-liked one to one accepted at a so-called top-10 hospital. Humana Gold Plus, a Medicare Advantage HMO, has served me well for five years. Hearing aids cost me only $10 after its $2,000 allowance. Routine doctor and dentist appointments and my medication cost nothing. But Humana Gold Plus is not accepted by Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the nearby hospital that US News & World Report ranks as the tenth best in the country, or by Northwestern Medicine physicians. My primary care physician is in an Advocate Medical Group. If I were hospitalized, it would be at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. If I had a serious illness, I’d see specialists in Advocate’s network. Illinois Masonic is not a second-rate hospital, and
Read more

Minnesota veterans blame 3M's 'defective' ear plugs for hearing damage - KSTP

-
Image
3M did not admit any wrongdoing as part of that settlement. Read 3M's full statement on the ear plugs here. "We deny this product was defectively designed," a company spokesperson said in a statement to 5 INVESTIGATES, adding they will "defend against the allegations in these lawsuits." More than 630 lawsuits have been filed and will be heard in a federal court in Florida. An attorney involved with the multi-district litigation says roughly 30 have been filed by veterans who live in Minnesota. Constant ringing Sarah Kay Carlson, an Army veteran from St. Paul, filed her lawsuit in April, claiming 3M exposed her and thousands of other Marines and soldiers to "extremely dangerous and disabling noise." 3M Earplug Complaint (Sarah Kay Carlson) Ramsey County (Filed) (PDF) 3M Earplug Complaint (Sarah Kay Carlson) Ramsey County (Filed) (Text) Carlson, who was deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the late 2000s, provided security to convoys t
Read more

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD): Practice Essentials, Background, Genetics

-
Image
hemophilia c factor 11 :: Article Creator Regeneron Reports Fourth Quarter And Full Year 2023 Financial And Operating Results Fourth quarter 2023 revenues increased 1% to $3.43 billion versus fourth quarter 2022; excluding RonapreveTM(a)(b), revenuesincreased 14% Full year 2023 revenues increased 8% to $13.12 billion versus full year 2022;excluding Ronapreve(a), revenuesincreased 12% Fourth quarter 2023 Dupixent®global net sales(recorded by Sanofi) increased 31% to $3.22 billion versus fourth quarter 2022; full year 2023 Dupixent global net sales increased 33% to $11.59 billion versus 2022 Fourth quarter 2023 U.S. Net sales for EYLEA®HD and EYLEA®were $1.46 billion, including $123 million from EYLEA HD; full year 2023 U.S. Net sales for EYLEA HD and EYLEA were $5.89 billion, including $166 million from EYLEA HD following its August 2023 FDA approval Fourth quarter 2023 Libtayo®global n
Read more