Nearly a year later, LAPD officials say they have made significant strides in addressing a problem that is common to most Los Angeles County law enforcement agencies. Other police departments offer bonuses to bilingual officers and subscribe to a telephone translation service, but lack a formal policy. The LAPD shift is fundamental, making officers responsible for serving all residents, regardless of whether they speak English. Officers are now held accountable, she said, and have the tools to communicate with those who do not speak English. Perez, head of the language task force that formulated the policy, points to the near doubling in a year of bilingual officers and civilian employees, as well as new incentives for officers to learn a second language.
Outsiders are more measured in their assessments.
She characterized progress so far as gradual but steady. We're Dealing With Traumatized Victims' Cmdr. Betty Kelepecz believes that having a comprehensive LAPD policy comes out of sheer necessity. Quite frankly, in order to solve crimes, we have to be able to communicate, to investigate and get the job done. One of the more concrete changes in the last year is the sharp increase in paid bilingual personnel.