Today, we live in a multicultural society where not everyone speaks fluent English or maybe no English at all. These people come into contact with police officers and staff, as witnesses, suspects or victims and in order to make sure they can deliver justice fairly they need interpreters and translators to help.

Police forces across the UK use interpreters through a Language Service Provider, but before they’re able to go on any police assignments they need to have:

• Completed a certain amount of hours experience in the public service interpretating
• Hold a Non-Police Personnel Vetting at Level 3
• Have either a Diploma in Public Service Interpreting with the law element or a diploma in Police Interpreting

The National Police Chiefs Council have an article that gives you information on various things related to the National Police Dynamic purchasing system for language services. The page also has three links to document that you can look through under ‘Guidance for police on the use of interpreters and translators. You can also find them in the resource library on the Zakon website here.