The death of Deisy Garcia and her children at the hands of her abuser, after an attempt to seek protection from the NYPD, is a tragic story that highlights the importance of language access services for limited English proficient New Yorkers. "We have seen victims of violence denied NYPD protection because of language barriers one too many times," said LSNYC Equal Rights Initiative Coordinator Amy Taylor. "Police services are vital services that all New Yorkers must be able to access when in danger. Our condolences go out to the Garcia family."
The New York Post reported this week that the NYPD failed to translate a domestic incident report that Ms. Garcia filed last May, in which she indicated that she feared her husband would harm her and her children.
Legal Services NYC initiated a civil rights action against the NYPD in March 2013 regarding their routine discrimination against immigrant New Yorkers who seek police assistance in times of crisis. This lawsuit, currently ongoing, was brought in Federal court on behalf of five limited English proficient (LEP) survivors of domestic violence and crime victims who were denied interpretation by the NYPD, and thus denied access to vital police services, all in violation of federal and City laws.
While it is the official policy of New York City and of the NYPD to provide interpreter assistance to individuals with limited English proficiency, the reality is that immigrant New Yorkers with language barriers are routinely denied access to police services and routinely face unlawful discrimination. In some instances, LEP victims of domestic violence are arrested because the NYPD relies solely on the reports of their English-proficient abusers.
More information about the action is available here.
Media Coverage:
NY Post: NYPD failed to translate mom's warning
NY Post: NYPD routinely fails to translate non-English reports: lawsuit
CNN: A woman's plea in her native language goes untranslated, three lives are lost
WNYC: In a City With Many Languages, NYPD Officers Rarely Use Interpreter Service
Fox News Latino: Controversy Over Untranslated Crime Report Filed With NYPD Shines Light On Similar Cases
Fox News Latino: NYPD accused of discriminating against immigrants