Translation Cards Help Police Communicate, Nab Perpetrators

Spanish-speaking victims or witnesses simply point to car logos, colors, description of perpetrators and their weapons on police-supplied translation cards. Police in West Palm Beach, Fla. apprehended suspects within four hours of distributing translation cards to officers

Birmingham, AL (PRWEB) April 14, 2008 -- Police in West Palm Beach, Fla. quickly nabbed two armed robbery suspects when a Spanish-speaking victim, using a police-supplied translation card, pointed to a car brand and color and descriptions of the attackers. The cards, introduced recently in West Palm Beach, depict weapons and vehicle manufacturer logos on one side with bi-lingual word descriptions for people, clothing, types of vehicles, and colors on the reverse side.

A West Palm Beach police officer saw a translation card being used by Charlotte-Mecklenburg law enforcement in North Carolina and brought one home to Florida, where it was adopted for use by his department on April 7, 2008. Within four hours of distributing the cards, officers had suspects behind bars in their first use of the translation cards.

With the Hispanic population increasing, communication problems between law enforcement officers and non-English speakers have become commonplace. "The translation card offers some assistance in solving the language dilemma," says Joseph Schmoke, CEO of Andrew Jackson University Andrew Jackson University, an online school with a substantial enrollment in criminal justice programs. "We'd like to play a small role by assisting in the distribution of the 'Charlotte-Mecklenburg/West Palm Beach' translation card to law enforcement organizations that deal with Spanish-speaking residents," Schmoke said.

The translation card is not copyrighted and is available to any law enforcement agency, Schmoke stated, and he wants to make sure that his university's students who are law enforcement officers receive the card immediately. And rather than bother busy officers in West Palm Beach or Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Schmoke volunteered to have the university staff send a copy of the card to any interested department. He can be reached by e-mail at js@aju.edu or at Andrew Jackson University, 205-451-9288, ext. 113.

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