Language Barriers
As AJU’s main Admissions Representative for the state of Alabama, I recently had the pleasure of visiting a number of local precincts and police departments in the Birmingham and Tuscaloosa metro areas. I would like to thank all departments and their officers who invited me: Helena Police Department, Homewood Police Department, Bessemer Police Department, Irondale Police Department and Tuscaloosa Police Department. The law enforcement agents at all of these departments represent themselves and their respective cities extremely well.
While at these departments, I answered numerous questions for potential students interested in Andrew Jackson University and participated in some great conversations regarding law enforcement. One topic of discussion (which repeatedly came up) centered around the language barriers law enforcement agents face on a daily basis. After hearing how difficult it is for most of the officers to converse with Hispanic-speaking witnesses or victims, AJU decided to make Spanish / English translation cards available. These translation cards focus on the words and symbols most commonly used when investigating crimes. Colors, car symbols, weapons and even the most common “head apparel” such as doo-rags, baseball caps and such, are all included as both images and words in English and Spanish.
So far, these translation cards have assisted our local officers in numerous cases. One department in Florida actually apprehended a perpetrator within only 4 hours of the crime by using this translation card. The Spanish / English translation card has proved invaluable to many officers who wish to know more Spanish. Because the Spanish / English translation cards have been such a great asset to the local departments, I wonder what other language barriers our law enforcement agents face.
For those of you in the law enforcement field, what are your greatest language barriers? Which languages are spoken the most in your area? Besides Spanish, would any of you law enforcement officers like to see additional language translation cards? Please feel free to post comments in answer to these questions, or offer any additional insight. I can also be reached via email: ajasman@aju.edu or by phone: 1-800-429-9300, ext. 114.
(PDF File, 447 kb)
Thanks again to all those I’ve visited with so far. If your department would like a representative of Andrew Jackson University to attend a roll call or other function, please contact us and we’ll be glad to schedule a meeting to inform the officers of our available programs and scholarships as well as provide the Spanish / English translation cards.
- Ashley Jasman
Admissions Representative
"available programs and scholarships as well as provide the Spanish / English translation cards." Woww that's of great help to local precincts and police departments. You have found a need and you're helping to solve it!
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These translations cards came in real handy. Other languages that we encounter a lot are Korean, and sometime Vietnameese. Thanks again for the Spanish Cards
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