In the past five years, the cost of interpretation and translation service for the Thames Valley has doubled to £1.1 million due to the diverse community moving to the area. David Ruffley, Shadow Minister for Police Reform noted that the national police costs for translation services have risen from £13.5 million to £22 million between 2004 and 2008.
Slough police utilize an international service that allows them to hold three-way conversations with translators on the phone. In addition, Chief Constable Sara Thornton emphasized that every officer must serve all members of the community, despite the language they speak.
Nevertheless, the Conservatives in the area are upset about the interpretation and translation costs and called for changes in immigration laws. Yet, Chief Con Thornton said, "The rise in costs can also be attributed to the different number of dialects spoken in certain languages. The rarer the dialect, the more specialised the interpreter."
04 November 2008
