NCJ Number
211024
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 32 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2005 Pages: 130,132,135
Date Published
August 2005
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the features of handheld translation devices from ECTACO and VoxTec International, which are tailored to enhance communication between English-only police officers and persons who speak only a foreign language.
Abstract
When police officers encounter such persons in the course of their duties, there is the added risk that miscommunication may lead to the use of force or at least extend the time required to resolve the encounter. As the number of persons who speak only a foreign language increases dramatically in the United States, the ability of police to communicate with them becomes increasingly important. Handheld translation devices enable officers to speak conventional English requests/commands into the device, which then provides an audible translation into the language of the citizen. The officer selects the appropriate language that has been programmed into the device. The device is programmed with commands/phrases associated with specific types of police actions, such as traffic stops, identification, investigation, and detention. ECTACO's SpeechGuard PD-4 clearly and loudly translates English to Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Polish, Arabic, French, Hebrew, and other languages. ECTACO queries potential customers about the foreign populations they serve to ensure the agency receives the correct language in the correct dialect. An officer selects a command or phrase from an available list, presses a button and the system produces the spoken version in seconds. VoxTec's Phraselator is equipped to translate officer commands and phrases into Arabic, Cantonese, Chinese Mandarin, English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Users select a predetermined phrase by speaking, tapping the touchscreen, or pressing a button, producing the selected recording in the native language of the subject.