The seven critical needs of victims are safety, support, information, access, continuity, voice, and justice. These critical needs provide a foundation for enhanced victim response in police agencies. While addressing these needs for each crime victim may be different, serving victims from linguistically diverse communities requires preparation and use of strategies embedded at all layers of the justice process. Proper planning and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure the effective communication between law enforcement and the people they serve, regardless of their primary language, is essential.
Framed around the seven critical needs of victims, this training will provide law enforcement and allied professionals an overview of legal obligation 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 improving investigations, prosecution of crimes, and public safety.