News

April 1998

Multilingual guide makes communication easier

Effective communication between police and non-English speaking clients is an essential ingredient for professional police service delivery in a culturally and linguistically diverse society.

All Police Services in Australia recognise the need to engage the services of professional, independent and duly accredited interpreters in police interviewing situations and situations likely to result in court hearing. Indeed, most Police Services have comprehensive language service policies in place, thus ensuring the professionalism of the communication area of service delivery.

However, it is one thing to work with on-site professional interpreters in criminal investigations and other matters warranting face-to-face interpreting and another thing altogether to bridge communication barriers at the street level.

The National Police Ethnic Advisory Bureau came up with an innovative and practical solution to the everyday problem of police communication with non-English speaking people in the community. Following nationwide consultation with operational police, The Bureau produced a Multilingual Guide designed to overcome communication barriers. The Guide which depicts a series of useful questions and statements in no less than 34 community languages assists police to obtain necessary information, reassures clients and facilitates the provision of an interpreter, if necessary.

Police around Australia enthusiastically welcomed this useful tool as it will make the challenging task of communicating across languages easier. The Guide will no doubt prove invaluable during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The Bureau wishes to acknowledge generous sponsorship for this project provided by Aerolineas Argentinas, the Victorian Interpreting and Translating Services, and the Australian Multicultural Foundation.