Police Use Phone Interpreters to Understand People

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Police in Sioux Falls are turning to telephone interpreters for help in understanding non-English speakers.

The Argus Leader reports that the Language Line helps the department overcome language barriers in the absence of multilingual officers. Estimates show that more than 140 languages and dialects are spoken in the city.

Sioux Falls police chief Doug Barthel says that with so many languages and dialects in the community, employing a police officer who speaks each one is just not feasible. The department has four or five officers who are fluent in Spanish.

The phone service provides language interpretation and document translation in more than 200 languages to police, court systems, health care organizations and companies.

The police department spent about $10,000 on interpreter services last year.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.