New program helps Warren PD with the deaf or speakers of foreign languages

WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Fox six decades Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer has worked for a number of police departments from Detroit to Farmington Hills.

"I’ve seen a lot as far as what’s happening in law enforcement," he said. "The need for training has been a priority for a number of years."

Dwyer says the training his department is receiving is pivotal - learning to communicate with non-English speaking people or those who are deaf.

The department has joined forces with Global Interpreting Services for the Have You Heard Program.

It’s an eLearning course that trains public safety workers to communicate with those who are deaf, don’t hear well, or they’re not fluent in English.

When trained officers encounter one of these situations they pull out their phone or iPad.

"They would hit the number for the language and within a few seconds the interpreter would come on. If it’s for sign language on the phone they could use a video or they can use an iPad," said Dawn Flanigan, Global Interpreting Services

"This is just another way for us to acknowledge to the public that we care," Dwyer said.

Languages that are available for interpretation include Arabic and Russian.

"All the languages that are prominent here in Michigan," she said.

Other departments that have jumped on board with Global include Fraser and Sterling Heights. And other cities say they want to join them.

"This would definitely assist during traffic stops I would love to see the service in Clinton Township, and I’m going to work on it until it does," said Tammy Patton, Clinton Township Board of Trustee

To learn more about this service go to Fox 2 detroit.com

"This really bridges the communications gap between the community and law-enforcement thanks to global

For more information go to globalinterpretingservices.com