44°
The agreement calls for new policies and practices that will “improve delivery of law enforcement services to the diverse LEP community of Yonkers” and enhance the relationship between the department and the community.
“Equal justice under law requires that all New Yorkers have access to the important public safety services provided by law enforcement agencies, regardless of their language ability,” said Schneiderman in a statement released Monday. “Today, the Yonkers Police Department, which serves one of the most diverse cities in New York, joins a growing circle of law enforcement agencies that are taking proactive measures to ensure their services reach all members of their communities.”
In 2012, the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Bureau launched a Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative to address the ways in which language stands as a barrier for communities seeking to access the important services provided by police departments and sheriffs’ offices. Over the past two years, the Attorney General has worked to create and enhance the language access policies and practices of numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Nassau County Police Department, Middletown Police Department, Rochester Police Department, Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, and Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.
The agreement with the Attorney General’s Office memorializes these procedures, which include: Ensuring that its officers and civilian employees who have regular contact with the public can effectively communicate with LEP persons, including when responding to calls for assistance; conducting traffic stops; taking complaints; interviewing crime victims; making public service announcements, and issuing safety alerts; Ensuring effective communication with LEP subjects of criminal investigations; Providing annual training on how to effectively communicate with LEP persons; Taking steps to identify and recruit bilingual officers and staff; Translating vital documents including complaint forms and other materials; and Providing English- and Spanish-language Personnel Complaint Forms at the police department’s offices and on the office’s website.
According to Census data, in Yonkers, 48 percent of the population over the age of 5 speaks a language other than English and 18 percent speak English less than very well.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Yonkers and receive free news updates.
