Critical Language Access Needs of Victims

Serving crime victims from linguistically diverse communities requires preparation and use of strategies embedded at all layers of the justice process. Framed around the seven critical needs of victims (safety, support, information, access, continuity, voice, justice), this webinar provides law enforcement and allied professionals an overview of legal obligations and standards around language access, tips for working with interpreters, and promising practices for police agencies. By addressing language access needs, agencies can eliminate or reduce barriers and support victims’ participation in the criminal justice system, thereby enhancing investigations, prosecution of crimes, and public safety.

Target Audience: Law enforcement and allied professionals (e.g., victim services personnel, communications personnel, crime scene personnel) 

Overall Objectives: At the conclusion of the webinar, participants will be better able to: 1. Identify and give examples of the seven critical needs of victims. 2. Understand the language access compliance requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 3. Implement language access strategies in the justice system. 4. Identify points of contact in law enforcement agencies and system- and community-based victim service organizations. 

Project Funding Provided By: Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)

This presentation was developed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) under Cooperative Agreement 2018-V3-GX-K066 and the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence (API-GBV) under Cooperative Agreement 2018-V3-GX-K061, both awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Shelli Sonnenberg

Detective

Boise, Idaho, Police Department

Detective Shelli Sonnenberg graduated cum laude from the University of Idaho in 1998, with a degree in Crime and Justice Studies. Shelli began her law enforcement career with the Boise Police Department in 1999, at which time she was honored to be voted President of her POST Academy. She spent the first 4 years of her career working in patrol, 9 years on the Community Policing Team, as a Neighborhood Contact Officer and then the Refugee Liaison. The last 9 years she has been assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division, as a Detective. She is also a Crisis Negotiator and a member of the Honor Guard. In 2006, Detective Sonnenberg was chosen BPD Officer of the Year by her peers, something she considers a highlight in her career. Some of her most rewarding work came when she was the Refugee Liaison. Shelli worked closely with the refugee resettlement agencies and community outreach groups in the Boise area, providing educational and safety information to the New Americans when they arrive in the U.S. In turn, she created a Refugee Awareness curriculum to assist her fellow officers in the field and then created the Boise PD Interpreter/Translator Program, which is used to help officers and LEP persons communicate in a more efficient manner. This program is also used by the other agencies in the Treasure Valley when a language barrier exists. In 2009, Boise PD was honored by the Vera Institute of Justice as one of the top cities in the US who were “Bridging the Language Divide.

Cannon Han

Senior Program Manager

Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence

Cannon Han is a Senior Program Manager with API-GBV.  He has over ten years of experience providing technical assistance and training to programs on: Title VI compliance and advocacy; language access; interpretation; and translation. Prior to re-joining API, he was the Title VI Administrator for Caltrain and the San Mateo Transit District.  He also served as a Senior Court Services Analyst with the California Administrative Office of the Courts, Court Interpreter Program, and an attorney with the Mental Health Advocacy Project. 

Heather Dooley

Project Manager

IACP

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Critical Language Access Needs of Victims Webinar
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Open to view video. Serving crime victims from linguistically diverse communities requires preparation and use of strategies embedded at all layers of the justice process. Framed around the seven critical needs of victims (safety, support, information, access, continuity, voice, justice), this webinar provides law enforcement and allied professionals an overview of legal obligations and standards around language access, tips for working with interpreters, and promising practices for police agencies. By addressing language access needs, agencies can eliminate or reduce barriers and support victims’ participation in the criminal justice system, thereby enhancing investigations, prosecution of crimes, and public safety.
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IACP Credit Hours and Certificate of Attendance
2.00 IACP Credit Hours credits  |  Certificate available
2.00 IACP Credit Hours credits  |  Certificate available
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