Contact: Elaine Tricoli
Phone: (336) 373-2421

Department of Justice Finds GPD in Compliance
With Limited English Proficiency Standards

GREENSBORO, NC – (July 1, 2008) – Following a comprehensive review, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has determined that the Greensboro Police Department is in compliance with nearly all of the DOJ’s standards related to communicating with non-English speaking residents. Compliance with the standards ensures that the Greensboro Police Department remains eligible for grants from the Department of Justice.

 On June 23 and 24, Tamara Mabey-Baxter, an attorney with the DOJ, interviewed a number of sworn and non-sworn Police staff to gather information about the department’s practices when interacting with people with limited English proficiency (LEP). She also reviewed the GPD’s signage, literature, communication efforts, translation abilities and policies.

As part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Department of Justice requires that law enforcement agencies who receive federal monies provide “meaningful access” to those who have limited English-speaking abilities. The DOJ reviews agencies in communities with heavy populations of non-English speakers. This is the DOJ’s first review of the Greensboro Police Department’s LEP practices.

Assistant Police Chief Ron Rogers said the Police Department fared well on nearly all of the standards reviewed by Mabey-Baxter, including multi-lingual signage at all Police buildings, language assistance services offered by the GPD, the process used to interview and arrest suspects, and the methods the Police Department uses to communicate with those who have limited English-speaking abilities.

Mabey-Baxter noted only two areas out of 30 for improvement: development of a written policy for providing services to non-English speaking residents and proficiency testing for bilingual officers. Rogers said the City organization will develop a policy to address the first issue, and the Police Department will then follow the City’s policy. To address the second issue, the Department will develop in-house proficiency testing with the help of a bilingual officer.

“We are already beginning to address the areas that the Department of Justice wants us to improve on,” Rogers said. “Having recently received a $500,000 grant from the DOJ to work on cold cases, we recognize the importance of maintaining that avenue of funding. But what’s even more important than receiving grants is making sure that we communicate effectively with our residents who have limited English proficiency.”

Dr. Anthony Wade, director of the City’s Human Relations Department, said the results of the review are significant in a city with as many diverse populations as Greensboro.

“The rich diversity of our community requires that we deliver our services successfully across racial, ethnic, cultural and national origin lines,” Wade said. “Public safety services are some of the most important that a municipality offers, and the Justice Department’s positive review is indicative of what we expect from our police department and city government.”

The Police Department expects to receive the final report from the Department of Justice within the next six to 12 months.

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The City of Greensboro works in partnership with the community to build an increased quality of life for all residents by fostering an environment where inclusion, diversity, and trust are valued. As the seventh largest employer in Greensboro, the City has a dedicated professional staff of 2700 employees who maintain four core values of honesty, integrity, stewardship, and respect. The City of Greensboro is governed by a council-manager form of government where a mayor and eight council members act as the legislative body. For more information on the City of Greensboro, please visit us online at www.greensboro-nc.gov.