The police Department of new York sued. Association of immigrants Make the Road New York stated that the officers of the NYPD did not provide oral translation services to applicants with limited English language skills.
In may 2017, the NYPD announced that in conjunction with Legal Services NYC will work to ensure that people could freely communicate with the police of the city, «regardless of what language they speak».
However, on Monday, August 13, Make the Road New York filed a complaint in the new York city Commission on human rights. Three plaintiffs claimed that they became victims of serious crimes, in police stations refused to take their statements, referring to the fact that those written in Spanish. According to the complaint, they were also denied access to an interpreter, which is contrary to the laws of new York.
“I have been to different precincts in Queens since 2016, and there’s no translation services, especially to TGNCIQ folx, there’s also a lot of intimidation to our trans and immigrant community” — @BianeyDlao, shares her experience w/ the NYPD and the lack of translation services. pic.twitter.com/Vtw5xpIZ9E
— Make the Road NY (@MaketheRoadNY) August 13, 2018
«I was trying to make a statement to the police after I was attacked, but police did not allow me to do it just because I didn’t speak English — said Victor Sanchez, one of the members of Make the Road New York. — I didn’t feel safe… All NYPD officers are required to comply with the law and provide interpretation services for those of us who don’t speak English.»
Chapter Make the Road New York Blane Garcia stated that she was accompanied by some members of the group «about 15 times in different areas and saw that they were not offered» the services of an interpreter. According to the organization, when people with limited English proficiency are denied an interpreter, this jeopardizes the security of this population.
