The Morgan Hill Police Department has taken measures to strengthen its Language Assistance Services so their officers can better communicate with those with limited English proficiency (LEP).
Officers underwent additional training to ensure qualified bilingual officers, telephone interpreters or qualified civilian interpreters will be more readily available.
“Language should never be a barrier between a victim and safety,” said Perla Flores, Program Director for Community Solutions, a leading social services agency serving South County. “Morgan Hill Police Department recognizes, this and is bridging that gap by strengthening their language assistance services.”
This is especially important in Santa Clara County, where 36.8 percent of the population was born outside of the United States and 49.6 percent speak a language other than English at home.
The LEP policy ensures that every community member in Santa Clara County will be given the same safety and protection provided by the police, regardless of the language they speak or the city they live in.
The policy calls for free language assistance to the public; all interviews performed by law enforcement officials will be done in the native language of a victim, witness or suspect; Miranda rights will be given in the native language; and officers will use qualified interpreters – not family members or neighbors when conducting interviews.
