107.5FM WCCN The Rock - The Coolest Station in the Nation
ESPN 92.3FM WOSQ
92.7FM WPKG
Memories 1370AM 98.5FM
98.7FM / 1450AM WDLB - Timeless Classics
Listen Live: 107.5 THE ROCK • 92.7 FM
Family owned radio stations serving all of Central Wisconsin

U.S. Department of Justice Pushing Law Enforcement Agencies to Better Serve Those Who Don't Speak Proficient English

Tuesday, February 13th, 2024 -- 12:00 PM

(Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel, ProPublica) The inability of police to communicate with immigrants who don’t speak English has long created problems, sometimes with tragic consequences.

According to Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel with ProPublica, those obstacles can inhibit crime victims from calling law enforcement for help and make it difficult for investigators to solve crimes.

But as part of an initiative by the Biden administration, the U.S. Department of Justice is pushing law enforcement agencies to better serve people who don’t speak proficient English.

Last week, for example, the King County Sheriff’s Office in Washington agreed to appoint a manager for a language-access program, restrict the use of children and others who aren’t qualified to serve as interpreters to narrowly defined situations, and develop a training program and complaint process.

In December 2022, the Justice Department agreed to similar measures with the city and county of Denver and the Police Department there in response to complaints that officers had failed to provide language assistance to Burmese- and Rohingya-speaking residents, including during arrests.

And in Dane County, Wisconsin, the Justice Department is now working with the sheriff’s office on its first-ever written policy on how to respond to incidents involving people with limited English proficiency.

This development follows a ProPublica report last year about the flawed investigation into the death of a Nicaraguan boy on a dairy farm in the county. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on its work in Dane County but referred reporters to its law enforcement language access initiative, launched in December 2022.

Under the initiative, law enforcement agencies can get help improving how they respond to people with limited English proficiency, including technical assistance, resources and training.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.