Policy Text
SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY (LEP)
PLAN
RM 510.08
SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
Limited English Proficiency Plan
Revised 11-08
POLICY STATEMENT
TO: ALL PERSONNEL
The Sacramento Police Department’s Limited English Proficiency Plan, and subsequent
General Order 510.08, will detail the steps to be taken when encountering individuals who
do not speak English as their primary language and have a limited ability to read, write,
speak, or understand English. This Plan is for departmental use only and will outline
specific measures which will provide reasonable and meaningful access to various rights,
obligations, services and programs to everyone who is Limited English Proficient (LEP).
This Plan, and General Order 510.08, implements specific policy that requires personnel to
know its contents and follow its guidelines when interacting with members of the LEP
community.
Additionally, so that this Plan shall remain as contemporary, viable and useful as possible,
employees shall report, through their chain of command, to the Chief of Police (COP), any
discrepancies they discover between the contents of this Plan, the law and acceptable
police procedures. Any procedural changes made to those outlined in this Plan shall be at
the discretion of the COP.
2SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
Limited English Proficiency Plan
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ................................................. 1
A. POLICY STATEMENT.......................................................................... 1
B. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE ........................................................ 1
C. DEFINITIONS ....................................................................................... 1
D. WHO IS LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT (LEP) ............................... 2
E. FOUR FACTOR ANALYSIS ................................................................. 2
F. TYPES OF LEP ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE ....................................... 3
G. IDENTIFICATION OF PRIMARY LANGUAGE .................................... 4
H. RESTRICTIONS ................................................................................... 4
I. INTERACTING WITH LEP INDIVIDUALS ........................................... 5
J. LEP CONTACT SITUATIONS .............................................................. 5
K. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS ........................................................... 6
II. PLANNING AND COORDINATION ....................................................... 7
A. LEP COORDINATOR ........................................................................... 7
B. MEASURING LEP CONTACTS ........................................................... 8
III. BILINGUAL STAFF ................................................................................ 9
A. DEPARTMENT BILINGUAL COORDINATOR .................................... 9
B. BILINGUAL RECRUITMENT ............................................................. 10
IV. TRAINING ............................................................................................ 11
A. TRAINING DIVISION RESPONSIBILITIES ........................................ 11
B. COMMUNITY OUTREACH ................................................................ 11
V. LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE DOCUMENTS .......................................... 13
A. MONITORING OF LANGUAGE ACCESS EFFORTS ....................... 13
SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
Limited English Proficiency Plan
I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
A. POLICY STATEMENT
It is the policy of the Sacramento Police Department to take reasonable steps
to provide meaningful access to all individuals in any encounters with the
Department regardless of their national origin or limited ability to speak, read,
write, or understand English. This language assistance plan, and subsequent
General Order 510.08, will detail the steps to be taken in implementing this
Policy.
B. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
1. Federal law prohibits national origin discrimination and requires
federally assisted law enforcement agencies to take reasonable steps
to provide meaningful access to Limited English Proficient (LEP)
individuals.
2. Language barriers can put cases and lives at risk by impeding
communications with LEP victims, witnesses, suspects, and
community members and by creating safety, evidentiary, and ethical
challenges for officers and others.
3. Language barriers can prevent LEP individuals from understanding
their rights, complying with the law, and receiving meaningful access to
law enforcement services and information.
C. DEFINITIONS
1. PRIMARY LANGUAGE – The language in which an individual is most
effectively able to communicate.
2. INTERPRETATION – The act of listening to a communication in one
language and orally converting it into another language, while retaining
the same meaning. Interpreting is a sophisticated skill needing practice
and training, and should not be confused with simple bilingualism.
Even the most proficient bilingual individuals may require additional
training and instruction prior to serving as interpreters. Qualified
interpreters are generally required to have undergone rigorous and
specialized training.
3. TRANSLATION – The replacement of written text from one language
into an equivalent written text in another language. Translation also
requires special knowledge and skills.
2SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
Limited English Proficiency Plan
4. BILINGUAL – The ability to speak two languages fluently and
communicate directly and accurately in both English and another
language.
5. DIRECT COMMUNICATION – Monolingual communication in a
language other than English between a qualified bilingual Department
employee or representative and an LEP individual ( e.g., Spanish to
Spanish).
D. WHO IS LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT (LEP)
LEP individuals do not speak English as their primary language and have a
limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English.
1. Many LEP persons are in the process of learning English and may
read, write, speak, and/or understand some English, but not
proficiently.
2. LEP status may be context-specific. For example, an individual may
have sufficient English language skills to communicate basic
information ( e.g. name, address etc