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<h1 class="gmail-hbi-h1">Language barriers prove problematic in domestic violence cases
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<em>Brittany Costello </em><br> <em>November 27, 2018 11:16 AM</em>
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<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – This holiday season Albuquerque has seen the
devastating consequences of domestic violence. APD said there have been
several recent incidents and some that turned deadly.</p>
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<p>While the city works to raise awareness, they're also working to improve communication with some of the most vulnerable victims.</p>
<p>“It’s sort of like access to law enforcement, which everyone agrees
is kind of a right, you deserve to be safe, but you can’t get that if
there's a language barrier,” said Albuquerque Mayor, Tim Keller.</p>
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<img src="https://www.kob.com/kobtvimages/repository/2018-11/Language_barriers_prove_problematic_in_domestic_violence_cases-syndImport-081103.jpg" alt="Language barriers prove problematic in domestic violence cases">
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<p>Keller said language barriers are a major problem for officers and victims of crimes, especially domestic violence.</p>
<p>“When you’re a survivor and are seeking resources, not only help with
a police department but resources center and you can’t access them in
your native language, it presents difficulties establishing that trust
that's really essential to that healing process for survivors,” said
Natalie Saing with the New Mexico Asian Family Center.</p>
<p>Saing said the Asian Family Center has been filling that void for years. But APD is working to step up its efforts.</p>
<p>New city policy will require language resources to be available with every call. It all starts with a language card.</p>
<p>Victims will be able to point to their language and use a newly available officer's cell phone to call an interpreter.</p>
<p>“They’re kind of essential to language access,” Saing said. “Basically the front line for language access.”</p>
<p>The first round of cadets trained on this specific policy and
resource two weeks ago. It will be something the entire department will
be using.</p>
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<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div></div>