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i o <br /> i ' ,. � <br /> A ! <br /> ' . ' ' 6.1. C. - Page 14 <br /> POST <br /> The State of California provides continuing education through its Commission on Peace Officers <br /> Standards and Training (POST) program. POST offers language classes in Spanish (five <br /> proficiency levels) including courses to develop the basic skills needed for an initial interaction <br /> with Spanish speakers. The cost for the courses ranges from $20 to $350. The skills thus <br /> obtained have the potential to minimize language barriers during emergencies with a large <br /> percentage of the immigrant population, thereby allowing law enforcement officers to render <br /> better service to their communities. <br /> FINDINGS -- - - <br /> F 1. The 1aw enforcement agencies in the County are aware of the linguistic issues presented by <br /> the County's non-English speaking population and, in general, have responded well by <br /> implementing written policies for language access and instituting hiring procedures <br /> designed to recruit multilingual personnel. <br /> - F2. The 911 Service does a good job for the non-English speakers in the communities serviced <br /> by the San Mateo SherifP <br /> � F3. �ritten policies and procedures, such as those adopted by Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, <br /> `�' Foster City,lVlenlo Park, City of San Mateo, South San Francisco, and the Sheriff's Office, <br /> are useful in guiding law en�o.rcement during encounters with non-English speakers. <br /> � �'�"4. . Langua�e Line is he�pf�� in rec�ucing communication difficu�ties between the immigrant <br /> population and law en�arcement. <br /> � ��FS. Alternative language translation services such as Google Translate, accessible by smart <br /> phones in the field, are useful in multilingual law enforcement situations. <br /> F6. It would be beneficial for law enforcernent agencies to take advantage of low cost Spanish <br /> education available through the POST program. <br /> RECOMMENDATIONS <br /> The Grand Jury recommends that: <br /> �� R1. The cities of Atherton, Colma, Daly City, East Palo Alto, Hillsborough, Pacifica, Redwood <br /> ��� City, and San Bruno develop a written policy/procedure for language access based on the <br /> guidelines set forth by the United States Department of Justice and customized for <br /> Califorrua Law by Lexipol in Policy 368 (See, e.g., Appendix E) �,;� ��.� `ti'��� r� <br /> R2. The cities of Brisbane and Hillsborough subscribe to a telephonic translation service that <br /> provides immediate access for dispatchers and officers in the field. <br /> 22 Overcomins Language Barriers, Solutions For Law Enforcement, Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. <br /> Deparhnent of Justice, «-tiv���.co�s.usdoi.�od�;�Fublication.s;`vera translatinU justice final.pdf (1/9/2013). <br /> 6 <br /> � <br />