Overcoming 

Language Barriers: 

Solutions for Law Enforcement 

Susan Shah 

Insha Rahman 

Anita Khashu 
From Vera’s Director 

The number of immigrants living within the United 

States is growing. Unlike in the past, however, many 

are settling in suburbs, small towns, and rural areas, 

bringing new cultures and languages to places 

previously unaccustomed to such cultural diversity. 

As a result, many law enforcement agencies around 

the nation are dealing with unfamiliar languages as 

they work to ensure public safety. Overcoming these 

challenges is essential. When language barriers 

prevent immigrants from, say, reporting a crime 

or describing a suspect, it becomes harder for 

officers to provide protection or gather evidence. 

And police often work in high pressure situations 

where communication needs to happen quickly. 

This report draws upon real-life lessons from 

Translating Justice, a project of Vera’s Center 

on Immigration and Justice, which worked with 

law enforcement agencies in California, Nevada, 

and Ohio to develop language access plans and 

policies suitable for their particular jurisdictions. 

The report provides practical guidance for how law 

enforcement agencies of different sizes, capacities, 

and circumstances can begin to address language 

barriers they encounter. 

For more information about Vera’s Translating 

Justice project or other technical advice on 

overcoming language barriers, visit www.vera.org/ 

translatingjustice or call (212) 334-1300. 

Executive Summary 

In order to do their jobs effectively and safely, 

sworn and civilian law enforcement personnel 

must be able to communicate with the 

people they serve—including the growing 

number of immigrant communities that do 

not speak English well. 

While it may seem daunting to take on the 

task of overcoming language barriers, there 

are cost-effective steps that agencies can 

take. And these steps can be tailored to meet 

each agency’s unique needs and capacities. 

The practical suggestions offered in this 

report range from relatively simple—such as 

training staff on how to utilize telephonic and 

“ad hoc” interpreters—to the comparatively 

ambitious—such as pooling language 

resources among local government agencies. 

For those law enforcement agencies that are 

able to develop a comprehensive language 

assistance response, this report offers 

guidance on how to create language access 

policies, staff trainings, and partnerships with 

local community organizations to educate 

immigrant residents. 

Whether or not your agency is able to 

implement all of the strategies suggested 

in this report, you will learn from what other 

departments have done. You may even be 

inspired to adapt these practices, adding 

to the growing list of innovations in this 

Michael P. Jacobson important topic in law enforcement. 

Director, Vera Institute of Justice 

This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement #2005-HS-WX-K001 by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of 

Community Oriented Policing Services. Points of view or opinions contained in this document are those of the authors and 

do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. 
OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT  

“At the core of community policing are partnerships and problem solving, 

but those essential elements can be hindered if law enforcement is not 

able to communicate with the growing diverse population in this country. 

Recognizing the need to improve communication and interaction with 

limited English proficient individuals is among the next steps in advancing 

community policing. By developing and implementing a language access 

plan, law enforcement agencies will be able to strengthen their policecommunity relations, increase trust, and be better positioned to address 

public safety problems.” 

CARl R. PEEd, director, U.S. department of Justice 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

Overcoming 

Language Barriers: 

Solutions for Law Enforcement 

A Changing Population Requires a Change in Law Enforcement 3 

How Law Enforcement Can Bridge the Language Gap 6 

 Know Who You are Serving 8 

 Establish Language Access Policies and Protocols and Evaluate Success 9 

 Educate Staff About Language Access 11 

 Identify and Train Bilingual Staff 11 

 Notify the Public About Your Agency’s Language Assistance Services 13 

 Pool Language Access Resources 13 

It is Possible to Ensure Language Access 14 

Strategies for Your Agency to Ensure Language Access 15 

Resources 16 
Around five o’clock one morning, a police officer driving 

along Main Street sees a beat-up car swerve erratically 

as it approaches an empty intersection. The car slows 

but continues through the red light, so the officer begins 

to follow, turning on his emergency light bar. Moments 

later, the officer approaches the car on foot as the driver, 

slumped in his seat, slowly lowers the window. The officer 

asks the driver for his license and registration. “¿Qué?” the 

man replies, still slumped forward. The officer repeats his 

question. “No hablo inglés,” is the reply. The third time he 

asks, the police officer mimes the motion of removing a 

wallet from his back pocket. The driver reacts by opening 

the door and starting to get out. “Stay in the car and put 

your hands on the steering wheel,” the officer commands, 

abruptly. But still the driver does not understand. 

Whether during a routine car stop or in a high stakes homicide investigation, 

as a law enforcement officer you need to be able to communicate effectively to 

do your job. Yet, as growing numbers of immigrants become more geographically dispersed throughout the United States, incidents like the one described 

above—where communication breaks down—are commonplace. 

Law enforcement agencies of diverse sizes and means around the country are 

responding with a variety of promising and effective new strategies for communicating with victims, suspects, and witnesses who speak little or no English. 

Even where police departments and sheriffs’ offices have limited resources and 

few or no bilingual officers, some have found ways to bridge the language gap 

and make services more accessible. 

 OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT 
“Our population is much different than it was 19 years ago, when I first 

became sheriff. I’ve taken an oath to serve and protect all in my county, 

not just the ones who we can understand. There are so many times when 

a language barrier could cost someone his or her life.” 

ShERIff GEnE KElly, Clark County, Ohio 

This report highlights a range of tools that law enforcement agencies can use to 

improve communication with non-English speaking persons within their jurisdictions. It draws upon lessons learned from a project involving the Vera Institute of 

Justice and law enforcement agencies in Anaheim, California; Clark County (Las 

Vegas), Nevada; and Clark County, Ohio, that was funded by the U.S. Department 

of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. (For more information about this project, see About Translating Justice on page 6.) 

A Changing Population 

Requires Changes in Law Enforcement 

In recent years, the United States has seen the biggest wave of immigration 

since the early 20th century. The number of U.S. residents born in a different 

country increased by 57 percent between 1990 and 2000, going from 19.8 million to 31.1 million.

1 Most of the new arrivals emigrated from Latin America, 

although many traveled from Asia and Africa. In comparison, Europe, once the 

primary source of immigrants, now contributes a relative trickle. Even faced 

with increased border, port, and airport security since September 11, 2001, large 

numbers of immigrants continue to arrive. 

In another departure from the past, today’s newcomers are moving beyond gateway cities like New York and Los Angeles and settling in suburbs, small towns, 

and rural areas, attracted by greater economic opportunity and a lower cost 

of living. Latino immigrants—predominantly from rural Mexico—are now the 

backbone of the seasonal and year-round agricultural workforce in a growing 

number of rural areas across the Midwest and South. Western states, meanwhile, 

have seen growth in a variety of immigrant groups. More than one-third of the 

nation’s foreign-born population lived in the West in 2000; most were of either 

Hispanic or Asian origin. 

OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT  
Today’s immigrants bring with them a diverse range of cultures and, more critically, languages. The 2000 Census found that almost 20 percent of U.S. residents 

speak a language other than English at home, and 8 percent qualify as limited 

English proficient (LEP).

2 For public safety and social service agencies, the challenge of communicating and building trust with these new residents can be 

immense. 

As first responders for public safety, law enforcement personnel face a special 

burden. Police officers cannot perform their duties well when they cannot communicate with the people they serve. When language barriers prevent individuals 

from reporting a crime or describing a suspect, for example, it becomes that 

much harder for police to gather evidence or provide protection. As one officer 

said, “Language discordance is our biggest challenge when serving the Hispanic 

community. The language barrier makes it very, very frustrating to get our work 

done.” Language barriers can even threaten the safety of officers: being unable to 

communicate with an armed suspect can dangerously exacerbate a life-or-death 

situation. 

The obstacles associated with language barriers are often complicated by the fact 

that many LEP persons fear the police and go to great lengths to avoid contact 

with them. Especially in a political environment where immigrants’ legal status is 

a prominent issue of national debate, more and more immigrants—particularly 

those who do not speak fluent English—are staying away from public services 

and government institutions. As community members often explain, “Even with 

immigrants who are here legally, they are suspicious of and fear the police.” 

Glossary 


A BIlINgUAl: Able to speak effectively in two languages. 

A IMMIgrANT: A person who leaves one country to settle in another. Motives for immigration can include economic, 

religious, political, or social factors. 

A INTErPrETATION: The process of orally rendering communication from one language into another. Interpretation 

deals with oral or signed speech. Someone who interprets is called an interpreter. 

A lANgUAgE ACCESS: A term used to describe an agency or organization’s efforts to make its programs and 

services accessible to lEP individuals. 

A lIMITED ENglISH PrOFICIENT (lEP): A person is lEP if his/her native language is not English and s/he has a 

limited ability to speak, read, write, or understand English. 

A TElEPHONIC INTErPrETINg SErVICE: An over-the-phone interpretation service in which off-site interpreters assist 

public and private organizations in communicating with people who are lEP. 

A TrANSlATION: Changing a written text from one language into an equivalent written text in another language. 

Translation deals with written texts. A translator performs the act of translating. 

 OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT 
Percent Change in the U.S. Foreign-Born Population by State, 1990–20003 

< . percent ( states)


. percent – 7. percent ( states)


7. percent – 8.8 percent (9 states) 

8.9 percent – . percent (9 states) 

> . percent ( states) 

Community policing programs, in particular, require police and the communities they serve to be able to trust each other and cooperate. Achieving this 

kind of relationship presumes effective and open communication between officers and residents, including those who are not fluent in English. The task of 

communicating and developing trust with LEP individuals may seem especially 

formidable, yet many law enforcement agencies are figuring out how to do this. 

It is important to note, moreover, that federal law mandates that law enforcement agencies find ways to overcome language barriers. Under Title VI of the 

Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §2000d et seq.), police agencies that receive 

any federal assistance must take reasonable steps to ensure that their services 

are meaningfully accessible to those who do not speak English well. Not to do 

so could constitute national origin discrimination. 

OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT  
How Law Enforcement 

Can Bridge the Language Gap 

Whether your agency interacts with LEP individuals only occasionally or on 

a daily basis, you will find it useful to plan and identify language resources. 

The examples provided in this report illustrate how three diverse law enforcement agencies found ways to minimize language barriers. Each of the following 

sections highlights a different strategy and considers relevant issues for implementing it. All of the strategies highlighted here may not be appropriate for 

your agency’s needs, but they do illustrate some of the varied ways in which 

agencies have made their services more accessible to LEP populations. 

In addition to considering the strategies described in this document, you may 

also want to read Executive Order 13166 Limited English Proficiency Resource 

Documents: Tips and Tools from the Field, which is available online (see 

Resources on page 16). This report, developed by the Department of Justice’s 

Civil Rights Division, includes information about language access tips, tools, 

and practices identified in informal surveys of court personnel, social service 

providers, police departments, 911 call centers, and several other agencies. 

Which strategies you ultimately choose to pursue will depend on factors like 

your jurisdiction’s LEP population, department size, and available resources. As 

patrol officers, 911 operators, and front-desk staff typically have the most contact with the public, they should be consulted as you develop and plan your 

agency’s language access strategy. 

About Translating Justice 

The Vera Institute of Justice launched its Translating Justice technical assistance project to respond to the need among criminal 

justice practitioners for strategies that can bridge the language gap between police and lEP individuals. Translating Justice 

provides tailored training, consulting services, and best practices research to law enforcement agencies faced with serving 

increasingly multilingual jurisdictions. 

The project’s services include demographic data analysis, qualitative research through interviews and focus groups, and 

strategic planning sessions with key stakeholders to identify and develop effective approaches to bridge the language divide. 

In its first year of operation, Translating Justice collaborated with the Anaheim Police Department in California, the Clark County 

Sheriff’s Office in Ohio, and the las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in Clark County, Nevada. While diverse in their size, 

available resources, and the populations served, all three sites were facing increases in their number of contacts with people 

who were lEP, and were committed to bridging the language gap between their staff and their jurisdiction’s lEP residents. 

 OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT 
Profiles of Agencies that are “Translating Justice”


Anaheim, California Clark County, nevada Clark County, ohio 

AgEnCy AgEnCy AgEnCy 

Anaheim Police Department 

City PoPUlAtion 

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police 

Department 

CoUnty PoPUlAtion 

Clark County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Office 

CoUnty PoPUlAtion 

0,000 

Sworn oFFiCErS 

.8 million 

Sworn oFFiCErS 

0,000 

Sworn StAFF 

00 

BilingUAl oFFiCErS 

,000 

BilingUAl oFFiCErS 

8 

BilingUAl DEPUtiES 

 certified Spanish speakers 

 certified Vietnamese speakers 

Many more bilingual officers who are 

not certified 

BilingUAl CiViliAn StAFF 

0 certified Spanish speakers 

No one certified in other languages 

BilingUAl CiViliAn StAFF 

 Spanish speaker, working part time 

BilingUAl CiViliAn StAFF 

 certified Spanish speakers 

 certified Vietnamese speaker 

immigrAnt PoPUlAtion 

8 certified Spanish speakers 

No one certified in other languages 

immigrAnt PoPUlAtion 

No bilingual staff 

immigrAnt PoPUlAtion 

0% of the overall population 

is Latino 

7% Asian (including Vietnamese 

Filipino, Korean, and Chinese) 

Growing Arab/Muslim community 

KEy ChAllEngE 

% of the overall population 

is Latino 

% Asian (mostly Filipino, but some 

Vietnamese and Korean) 

KEy ChAllEngE 

Mexicans make up the majority of 

the new immigrant population 

KEy ChAllEngE 

The immigrant community is multiethnic and multilingual. Anaheim is 

also home to Disneyland, a major 

tourist destination that attracts a 

year-round tourist population from 

across the country and overseas. 

There is a very rapidly growing and 

diverse immigrant population drawn 

by the low cost of living and continuing economic opportunities in the 

gaming and construction industries. 

Las Vegas’ economic opportunities 

have posed significant recruitment 

challenges for the agency, particularly 

for filling uniformed positions. 

Latino seasonal migrant workers are 

now remaining in Ohio year round 

due to the low cost of living and 

employment opportunities with local 

factories and the agricultural 

industry. There are few bilingual 

resources in the county. 

OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT 7 
Know Who You are Serving 

To be effective in fighting crime and protecting residents, a law enforcement 

agency needs to understand the changing demographics of the communities in 

its jurisdiction. Information about residents’ characteristics and the languages 

they speak can help your agency make more informed decisions about allocating 

resources and recruiting and deploying staff. Your department should determine 

how such data can be easily collected and analyzed. For example, your agency 

could add a disposition code for all contacts made with LEP individuals when 

documenting an “event” into the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. Then, 

should the data show, for example, that large numbers of Spanish-speaking residents live in a particular area command, you might want to place a bilingual 

Spanish-speaking employee at that station’s front desk. Agencies may also want 

to compare demographic data with data about how often police have contact 

with LEP individuals. This comparison could shed light on whether LEP populations are fully accessing services. Easy ways to gather this information include 

keeping a front-desk log for station walk-ins, routinely polling officers during 

roll call training, and analyzing call information from telephonic interpreting service providers or other language service providers. 

For a more accurate picture of a jurisdiction’s residents, agencies can look at 

demographic data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, city and state agencies 

such as departments of education and city planning, state and municipal court 

systems, local hospitals, and even marketing and research companies.

4 Specifically, you may want to look for information on race/ethnicity, language spoken 

at home, English proficiency, and education levels of the people in your command 

area. Keep in mind, however, that data on race and ethnicity cannot always tell 

Collecting Demographic Data 

Your agency can get demographic data from 

A the decennial U.S. Census and Census American Community Survey at www.census.gov 

A federal, state, and city departments of education 

A federal, state, and city departments of health 

A municipal and state courts 

A private research and marketing companies 

A tables and maps of the 30 most commonly spoken languages at www.mla.org/census_main 

To gain a better understanding of rapid population growth in las Vegas, demographers and city planners at the city’s 

Department of Information Technologies purchased comprehensive 2005 demographic data from a research company. 

Using specialized mapping software, the planners plotted various demographic indicators—including race and language— 

within each of the county’s seven police area commands. This data provided area command captains with a better sense of 

the immigrant population in their jurisdictions, helping them to plan and allocate resources to improve communication with 

lEP residents. 

8 OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT 
you precisely what language is spoken. There are, after all, as many Asian languages as there are Asian countries, and some countries have more than one 

language group. In India, for example, more than 30 languages are spoken. 

It can also be helpful to supplement this demographic data with information gathered from community- and faith-based organizations and social service providers. 

These organizations—particularly those that serve new immigrants—can help 

identify emerging demographic trends that are too recent to be documented by 

formal counts such as the U.S. Census. Alternatively, it may be beneficial to use an 

independent organization to collect the data because community members may 

be reluctant to share demographic information for law enforcement purposes. 

A growing number of police departments across the country are also finding it 

helpful to collaborate with their local city planning agency to collect and map 

this kind of data on an ongoing basis. 

Establish Language Access Policies and 

Protocols and Evaluate Success 

Law enforcement agencies operate within a culture of policies and procedures. 

Agencies have policies on almost every aspect of an officer’s job, from uniform 

dress code and instructions on when to wear a protective vest, to procedures for 

making arrests and use of force protocols. Not surprisingly, a growing number 

of agencies are developing policies for interacting with persons who are LEP. 

Without a written policy or protocol, a program or service is at risk of being 

implemented incompletely and, perhaps, incorrectly. A written language access 

policy can guide officers and civilian staff on how and when to use language 

services. It also formalizes a department’s commitment to ensuring access for residents who do not speak English well. 

The specific elements of your plan may vary according to your agency’s resources 

and the LEP population served. In a policy guidance for recipients of federal assistance, the Department of Justice identified four factors that should be considered 

when developing a language access policy and plan: demographics of the population served, frequency of contact with LEP persons, nature of the contacts with 

LEP persons, and agency resources.

5 

A growing number 

of agencies are 

developing policies 

for interacting with 

persons who are 

limited English 

proficient. 

Developing a language Access Policy and Plan 

Ohio’s Clark County Sheriff’s Office recently developed a language access policy and plan. recognizing that a growing 

number of latino immigrants reside in the county year-round rather than just during the peak migrant worker season, the 

sheriff’s office purchased handheld translators, secured a telephonic interpretation contract, and developed a volunteer 

interpreter roster of bilingual community members and city staff. This was done in conjunction with developing a language 

access policy, ensuring that staff uses the new language assistance services effectively. 

OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT 9 
Most law enforcement language access plans generally include the following: 

A A glossary of commonly encountered terms (such as “language access,” 

“limited English proficient,” “interpretation,” and “translation”); 

A A procedure for officers and staff on how to access language assistance 

services under different circumstances, including when receiving and 

responding to requests for assistance, making enforcement stops, conducting field investigations and witness interviews, conducting custodial 

interrogations, carrying out intake and booking responsibilities, and performing other law enforcement operations; 

A A protocol for training personnel on the language access policy and effective use of the agency’s language assistance services; 

A Information about training and certifying interpreters and bilingual personnel; and 

A Information about how the public will be notified about the department’s 

language assistance services (see Notify the Public About Your Agency’s 

Language Assistance Services on page 13). 

The Department of Justice Civil Rights Division has created two planning tools, 

available online, which guide law enforcement agencies in creating a language 

access policy and plan (see Resources on page 16). 

To ensure that your language assistance resources are effective, it is a good idea 

to evaluate your services. This can be done in several ways. 

A Uniformed and civilian staff can be asked—at roll call or through a short 

survey—how easily they are able to access language assistance services. 

A Community policing officers and other members of your department who 

have daily contact with immigrant residents can ask community members 

how well such services are working and whether their family and friends 

know about the department’s language access efforts. (Reaching out to the 

Personnel Training on language Access 

Many agencies provide language access training to their staff. These trainings have different formats and focuses, reflecting 

each agency’s specific needs. During one of its monthly command staff meetings, the Anaheim Police Department 

collaborated with the Vera Institute to provide a two-hour training for department supervisors on the benefits of improving 

language accessibility. 

In Ohio, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with the Vera Institute to show its command staff how deputies and 

civilian staff can get the most out of using an “ad hoc” interpreter (someone, like a bilingual neighbor or family member, 

who has not received formal interpreter training). This training included the recommendation that family members or 

children be asked to interpret only as a last resort in unforeseeable or exigent circumstances. Clark County officials are also 

developing a roll call training that provides tips and tools for how to effectively use an ad hoc interpreter and what to do 

before, during, and after a situation when an interpreter is used. 

0 OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT 
community and seeking feedback will also demonstrate your department’s 

commitment to community policing and serving all residents.) 

A Community satisfaction surveys administered by either your department’s 

staff or an independent organization can gauge how well community members are informed about your language assistance services and efforts. 

Based on your evaluation, your department may determine that your language 

access policy or plan needs to be updated. 

Educate Staff About Language Access 

As police officers often work in conditions that are high stress and time sensitive, language assistance services and resources should be easy for them to 

access. All personnel—from officers to 911 communication staff to front desk 

personnel—should therefore be trained on how to respond when interacting 

with LEP individuals. Training on how and when to request an interpreter, for 

example, can reduce delays that may arise on occasions when staff must choose 

between accessing a bilingual officer, a civilian interpreter, or a connection to a 

telephonic interpreter. The training should also emphasize how improving language access can make department members’ jobs easier and safer. 

Language access trainings can include: 

A demographic information about local LEP populations and where they live,


A guidance on accessing interpretation and translation resources,


A tips on how to work with bilingual staff and interpreters, and


A instruction on what to do when no bilingual officer or interpreter is 


available. 

Individuals who undergo training should receive tangible resources to carry with 

them in the field. These may include copies of the department’s language access 

policy and procedure, translations of the Miranda warning (for officers who are 

fluent in those languages), and specific instructions on how to access a telephonic 

interpreting service. Staff should also be given a language identification card or 

booklet. This resource can be used to identify what language an LEP individual 

is speaking. Copies of “I Speak,” a language identification guide for law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies, produced by the State of Ohio Office of 

Criminal Justice Services, are available online (see Resources on page 16). 

Identify and Train Bilingual Staff 

Some agencies have been able to successfully recruit, hire, and compensate staff 

with foreign language skills. However, levels of bilingualism among individuals 

can vary. The best way to ensure that a person is truly bilingual is to test his/her 

spoken and written proficiency in the other language. Some departments have 

Training staff on an 

agency’s language 

assistance services 

reduces delays and 

makes department 

members’ jobs 

easier and safer. 

OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT  
partnered with other municipal agencies, the courts, or private language service 

companies to use their proficiency exams; other departments are developing their 

own proficiency exams that include law enforcement terminology. 

Bilingual officers who serve as interpreters for their colleagues may benefit 

greatly from training on how to be a police department interpreter. Interpreter 

training can include information about: 

A the interpreter’s role and responsibilities, 

A key terminology used in law enforcement settings, 

A how to prepare for an interpretation, 

A how to negotiate rank when interpreting, and 

A how to maintain control during difficult interpreting situations. 

Supervisors should be made aware that bilingual staff called upon to interpret 

for their colleagues may feel the pressures of an increased workload or find 

themselves routinely diverted from their normal work assignments. 

As the nationwide demand for bilingual law enforcement officers grows, many 

agencies face challenges in recruiting qualified bilingual sworn personnel. Many 

departments, including the Anaheim Police Department and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, offer a base pay incentive for Spanish-speaking 

staff who pass the certification test. 

Some agencies have found that it is easier to recruit bilingual individuals to fill 

civilian positions such as dispatch operators, civilian interpreters, civilian report 

writers, and other clerical personnel. Bilingual civilian staff can also be used to 

build ties with the community and to serve as civilian public information officers. 

Many bilingual staff may already have relationships with immigrant residents in 

their community and may not need to spend time identifying key community 

service providers. Because civilian staff are not uniformed, they may have the 

added benefit of inspiring less fear among residents and more willingness to 

collaborate. In some instances, bilingual individuals hired for civilian positions 

may later choose to join the police academy to become a police officer. 

Using Bilingual Civilian Staff 

The Anaheim Police Department targets local high schools and colleges with large immigrant student populations to 

recruit for its cadet programs. Bilingual cadets are often placed at the front desk of area command stations that serve high 

numbers of latino or Asian residents. 

The las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department recruits and trains Spanish-speaking residents to become paid civilian 

interpreters for its Hispanic Interpreter Services Program (HISP). HISP interpreters are stationed in a centrally located 

substation and either drive to the scene to interpret in person or interpret over the telephone. They are recruited from 

local colleges and community organizations and represent many facets of the city’s diverse Spanish-speaking population, 

including the Mexican, Cuban, Chilean, and guatemalan communities. 

 OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT 
Notify the Public About Your Agency’s Language 

Assistance Services 

It is important to inform the public about your agency’s language access policy 

and language assistance services. LEP residents who are unaware of language 

assistance services may not fully access them. The task of educating immigrant 

residents about your agency’s role and services may seem daunting, especially 

when there is a language barrier. However, your uniformed and civilian staff can 

relay information to immigrant leaders and residents through community- and 

faith-based organizations or even local ethnic grocery stores and restaurants. 

Ethnic print and broadcast media and English as a Second Language programs 

at libraries and local community centers can also be information hubs for new 

immigrants. 

Providing notice to the public often assists departments in connecting with 

community organizations, colleges and schools, religious groups, community 

leaders, and other language assistance resources such as local interpreters and 

translators, which can be of vital assistance to a department. 

Pool Language Access Resources 

Most law enforcement agencies must deal with the reality of having fewer financial and personnel resources than they would like. Many simply cannot justify 

allocating significant resources or hiring full-time staff to provide language 

assistance. These agencies may, however, be able to pool and share their language resources with other government agencies. Separate government agencies 

often face similar challenges in serving a multilingual and diverse community. 

You might therefore consider collaborating with other agencies in your city or 

county—including first responder and emergency services, the departments of 

public housing and social services, and the courts—to share existing strategies, 

brainstorm new solutions, or create a pool of interpreters to be used by several agencies. Just as neighboring law enforcement agencies partner with each 

other to provide mutual aid, local and regional departments can coordinate to 

develop creative approaches for better communication with LEP residents and 

share resources. 

Pooling resources and leveraging Assets 

The Anaheim Police Department is one of 37 law enforcement agencies in Orange County, California. It routinely “borrows” 

Vietnamese-speaking officers from neighboring agencies that serve large numbers of Vietnamese residents, while smaller 

law enforcement agencies have used Anaheim’s American Sign language interpreters. Anaheim’s city government, 

meanwhile, has assumed responsibility for providing language testing and bilingual certification, Spanish language classes, 

and document translations for all city agencies, including the police department. leveraging neighboring agency and city 

government resources has allowed Anaheim police to address language barriers more comprehensively and cost effectively. 

OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT  
It is Possible to Ensure Language Access 


The ultimate goals 

are to increase your 

department’s ability 

to communicate and 

serve, to develop 

strong, trusting 

relationships 

with immigrant 

community 

members, and to 

ensure that officers 

can do their jobs 

effectively. 

As immigrant communities and LEP populations throughout the nation continue 

to grow, police departments of all shapes and sizes are developing creative ways 

to bridge the language gap between officers and LEP individuals. The strategies 

and promising practices highlighted in this report represent just a few of the 

innovative approaches that are currently being used by law enforcement agencies around the county. In presenting these innovations, we hope to stimulate 

other agencies to address their own language gaps and, perhaps, inspire more 

innovation in this field. 

The U.S. Department of Justice requires that law enforcement agencies receiving 

federal assistance develop strategies for communicating with LEP individuals 

with whom they do, or might, come into contact. Your department may not 

be able to implement all of the strategies described in this report. However, 

it is important to remember that developing a language access policy and a 

plan that actually puts the policy into practice can improve your department’s 

performance. And, as noted earlier, it is a requirement if your agency receives 

federal financial assistance. 

Whatever language strategies your department may choose to take on, the ultimate goals are to increase your department’s ability to communicate with and 

serve LEP individuals; to develop strong, trusting relationships with immigrant 

community members; and to ensure that officers can do their jobs effectively. 

The bottom line is that all law enforcement agencies can do something so that 

their commitment to justice and service is not lost in translation. 

Endnotes 

1.	 Migration Information Source, “Immigration to the United States by Decade; Fiscal Years 1821 to 2000,” 


<http://www.migrationinformation.org/GlobalData/charts/final.immig.shtml>.


2.	 Elizabeth Grieco, “English Abilities of the U.S. Foreign-Born Population,” (Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute, January 2003). 

<http://www.migrationinformation.org/USFocus/display.cfm?ID=84>. 

3.	 Nolan Malone, Kaari F. Baluja, Joseph M. Costanzo, and Cynthia J. Davis, Census 2000 Brief: The Foreign-Born Population 

(Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau, December 2003). <http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-34.pdf>. 

4.	 In recent years, an increasing number of schools are reporting the languages spoken by students in their public report cards 

mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act. 

5.	 The DOJ’s Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance Recipients Regarding Title VI Prohibition Against National Origin Discrimination 

Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons can be accessed at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/cor/lep/DOJFinLEPFRJun182002.pdf. 

 OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT 
Strategies for Your Agency to Ensure Language Access


Determine the languages spoken in your jurisdiction by collecting 


demographic data from local and federal sources.


Undergo a planning process to develop a language access policy and 


protocol guidance.


Educate all agency personnel about language access and how to utilize 


agency language assistance services.


recruit bilingual personnel and offer a base pay increase for staff who 


pass a proficiency exam.


Provide bilingual personnel with police interpreter training. 

Encourage officers and civilian staff to use their language skills. 

Train staff on how to effectively work with “ad hoc,” volunteer, and 

professional interpreters during an interaction with an lEP individual. 

Deploy bilingual personnel to areas with high numbers of lEP residents. 

Use bilingual civilian staff to conduct community outreach and build 

relationships between your department and immigrant and lEP residents. 

Translate signage and documents that communicate vital information to 

the public into the most prevalent languages spoken by lEP community 


members.


Notify the public about your agency’s language access policy and language 


assistance resources.


Pool resources and leverage assets with other agencies and services in 


your city or county.


OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT  
Resources 

referenced resources 

Executive Order 13166 Limited English Proficiency Resource Document: Tips and Tools from the Field. 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, 2004. 

<http://www.lep.gov/tips_tools_92104.htm>. 

Planning Tool: Considerations for Creation of a Language Assistance Policy and Implementation Plan for 

Addressing Limited English Proficiency in a Department of Corrections. Washington, DC: U.S. Department 

of Justice, Civil Rights Division, 2006. <http://www.lep.gov/LEP_Corrections_Planning_Tools.htm>. 

Planning Tool: Considerations for Creation of a Language Assistance Policy and Implementation Plan for 

Addressing Limited English Proficiency in a Law Enforcement Agency. Washington, DC: U.S. Department 

of Justice, Civil Rights Division, 2006. <http://www.lep.gov/Law_Enforcement_Planning_Tool.htm>. 

“I Speak” Language Identification Guide. State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services, 2005. 

<http://www.lep.gov/ocjs_languagecard.pdf>. 

Additional resources 

Hispanic Robbery Initiative: Reducing Robbery Victimization and Increasing Trust of Police and Financial 

Institutions in a Hispanic Community. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, North Carolina. Washington, 

DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and Center for Problem-Oriented 

Policing, 2002. <http://www.popcenter.org/Library/Goldstein/2002/02-08(F).pdf>. 

Language Assistance for Law Enforcement. Curtis, Natasha. Seattle, WA: National Association of Judiciary 

Interpreters and Translators, 2006. <http://www.najit.org/Documents/LawEnforcement200609.pdf>. 

Protecting Your Community From Terrorism: Strategies for Local Law Enforcement. Davies, Heather J. and 

Gerard R. Murphy. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

and Police Executive Research Forum, 2004. <http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1364>. 

By the Numbers: A Guide for Analyzing Race Data from Vehicle Stops. Fridell, Lorie A. Washington, DC: 

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and Police Executive Research 

Forum, 2004. <http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?Item=1476>. 

Understanding Race Data from Vehicle Stops: A Stakeholder’s Guide. Fridell, Lorie A. Washington, DC: 

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and Police Executive Research 

Forum, 2005. <http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1577>. 

Racially Biased Policing: A Principled Response. Fridell, Lorie A., Robert Lunney, Drew Diamond, and 

Bruce Kubu. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and 

Police Executive Research Forum, 2001. <http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1598>. 

Day Labor Project: A Community’s Response to the Problems of Casual Laborers. Glendale Police Department, 

California. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and 

Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, 1997. <http://www.popcenter.org/Library/Goldstein/1997/97-22(W).pdf>. 

Disorder at Day Labor Sites. Guerette, Rob T. Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Problem-Specific Guide Series 

No. 44. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2006. 

<http://www.popcenter.org/Problems/problem-disorder_daylabor.htm>. 

 OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT 
“Latino Academy.” Kathman, Thomas E., and Tim Chesser. The Police Chief 72, no. 6 (2005). 

<http://policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&article_id=616&issue_id=62005>. 

Translating Justice: A Guide for New York City’s Justice and Public Safety Agencies to Improve Access for 

Residents with Limited English Proficiency. Khashu, Anita, and Cari Almo. New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 

2005. <http://www.vera.org/publication_pdf/342_619.pdf>. 

Building Strong Police-Immigrant Community Relations: Lessons from a New York City Project. 

Khashu, Anita, Robin Busch, and Zainab Latif. New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2005. 


<http://www.vera.org/publication_pdf/300_564.pdf> or <http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1576>.


Protecting Civil Rights: A Leadership Guide for State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement. Markovic, John. 


Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and 


International Association of Chiefs of Police, 2006. <http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=1814> or 


<http://www.theiacp.org/documents/index.cfm?fuseaction=document&document_type_id=1&document_id=862>.


A Suggested Approach to Analyzing Racial Profiling: Sample Templates for Analyzing Car-Stop Data. McMahon, 


Joyce, and Amanda Kraus. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing 


Services and the CNA Corporation, 2005. <http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1462>.


“Reaching English-as-a-Second-Language Communities: Talking with the Police.” 


Moy, Jones, and Brent Archibald. The Police Chief 72, no. 6 (2005). 


<http://policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&article_id=614&issue_id=62005>.


Best Practices Guide: Developing a Police Department Policy-Procedure Manual. Orrick, W. Dwayne. 


Alexandria, VA: International Association of Chiefs of Police, n.d. <http://www.theiacp.org/research/PCDR.pdf>.


Talking with the Police: An English Language and Civics Workbook for English Language Learners. 

Reta, Cathay O., and Martha A. Lane. Monterey Park, CA: Bruggemeyer Memorial Library LAMP Program, 


2002. <http://www.otan.us/images/publicarchive/ArchivesDigitalFiles/ELCivics/003369.pdf>.


“Lost in Translation: Limited English Proficient Populations and the Police.” 


Venkatraman, Bharathi A. The Police Chief 73, no. 4 (2006). 


<http://policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&article_id=861&issue_id=42006>.


For Further Information 

To access a federal clearinghouse of information, tools, and technical assistance regarding limited English 

proficiency and language services for federal agencies and recipients of federal funds, visit www.LEP.gov. 

For additional information on advancing community policing and other law enforcement topics, 

visit www.cops.usdoj.gov. 

© 2007 Vera Institute of Justice 

Edited by Robin Campbell 

Design by Jeanne Criscola | Criscola Design 

Cover photograph by India Baird in collaboration with Chief Peter Demnitz and the Morristown, New Jersey Police Department. 

OV ERCO M ING L ANGUAGE BARRI ERS: SOLUT IONS FOR L AW ENFORCE M ENT 7 
- ’

This report is a publication of the Center on Immigration and Justice at the Vera 

Institute of Justice. Additional copies are available from the communications 

department of the Vera Institute of Justice, 233 Broadway, 12th Floor, New York, NY 

10279, or call (212) 334 1300. An electronic version is available on Vera s web site 

at www.vera.org and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services web site at www.cops.usdoj.gov. 

The Vera Institute of Justice is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to 

advancing safety and justice, promoting fair and efficient policy and practice, 

and working with leaders of government and civil society to improve the systems 

people rely upon for safety, security, and justice. Vera is a founding member of the 

Altus Global Alliance. 

Suggested Citation: Susan Shah, Insha Rahman, and Anita Khashu. Overcoming Language Barriers: Solutions 

for Law Enforcement. New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2007. Available at http://www.cops.usdoj.gov and 

http://www.vera.org/overcomelangbarriers. 

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