Lots going on and so little time. Or as Willie Wonka would say, reverse that. In either case comment ahoy.
Open Thread Saturday
by turfgrrl
February 16th, 2008 · 59 Comments
Tags: Norwalk
59 Responses so far ↓ “Open Thread Saturday”
Pages: [1] 2 » Show All
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Hey, Mr. G! Ya missed this thread. I see you’ve got all the other ones covered.
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Yeah, where’s the daily rants about crime and the police department?
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cop crashes car, handgun displayed Sono and officer races into homeless shelter saves lives, more tires slashed, and that was just friday night how was that for a short rant brought to by the officers in blue who want you to know they are on the job busting their ass while Rillings and Moccia are among the missing?
short enough rant for U ?
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why but the papers this was online on the blog after the CT post by minutes
NORWALK (AP) — The parent company of Gibbs College plans to close the school’s campuses in Norwalk, Boston and elsewhere on the East Coast, the corporation’s president said Friday.
Career Education Corp. officials said in a written statement Friday that the colleges will “teach out” all programs by Dec. 31, 2009, giving students time to finish their programs there or transfer elsewhere.would you subscribe to the blog if it delivered the news first?
The hour is now looking for a reporter wonder why the Advocate isn’t pouring salt into The Hours wound?
rants don’t hurt unless it hits home right?
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sorry didn’t really have anyplace else it would of fit for a news breaking story, hint hint.
that was last night now lest talk crime over night was there any in your area?
There was one guy who woke up this morning and found all four tires no not slashed just taken and the car on blocks probably by a guy who lost four tires to the slasher it just gets worse now doesn’t it?
only in Norwalk can this be looked upon as progress
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common comments when the issue is raised why spanish is not a language the police or the dispatchers can handle
137 anonymous // Feb 16, 2008 at 3:44 pm
What about french, german, japanese, and mandarin? Oh yeah, they learn english when they get here.
but city hall gives you the choice of spanish or english , they accept tax money in spanish, spanish papers at the coffee shop and scoll dept at city hall, and most of what we buy now but again we keep getting the same lame argument why do we need to master spanish in Norwalk?
Because we take federal money for our city in return we need to provide to victims the translator but in Norwalk we don’t and it is punishable by fine of held federal money are we really in a position to send fedweral money back be becasue we are the only city sho can’t major the accepted language of others?
Its a civil rights issue its been pointed out the law so look it up we don’t have time to hold many more hands while Norwalk needs help with its police dept.
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That would go for any language, not just spanish. I think they have a phone relay for any language that covers the federal law. Otherwise you need translators for all languages.
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its called language line and if its down or your victim doesn’t have a phone your screwed if backup is not there to translate. When a n officer is trying to arrest at gunpoint someone who doesn’t know english your otherwise is not appplicable.
Two weeks ago late in the eveing no one on the street or in the 911 office could speak spanish. It took over an hour for a Stamford police officer to respond be met at the exit ramp and brought into translate for a victim. This is unacceptable in any city in any state. There is no agriment we need to do better but where doea it reflect in the budget?
Language line is a very poor device in Norwalk that has proven to be ineffective at times during an emergency. We have some spanish speaking officers but not on all shifts as is the same for the dispatchers.
so again we are mandated to do something like it or not.
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Mandated for all languages, not just spanish. Need to find a system to covar all, not just spanish
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In order to do their jobs effectively and safely,
sworn and civilian law enforcement personnel
must be able to communicate with the
people they serve—including the growing
number of immigrant communities that do
not speak English well.
While it may seem daunting to take on the
task of overcoming language barriers, there
are cost-effective steps that agencies can
take. And these steps can be tailored to meet
each agency’s unique needs and capacities.
The practical suggestions offered in this
report range from relatively simple—such as
training staff on how to utilize telephonic and
“ad hoc” interpreters—to the comparatively
ambitious—such as pooling language
resources among local government agencies.
For those law enforcement agencies that are
able to develop a comprehensive language
assistance response, this report offers
guidance on how to create language access
policies, staff trainings, and partnerships with
local community organizations to educate
immigrant residents.
Whether or not your agency is able to
implement all of the strategies suggested
in this report, you will learn from what other
departments have done. You may even be
inspired to adapt these practices, adding
to the growing list of innovations in this
important topic in law enforcementWouldn’t it be nice if we could rely on our leadership to pursue the innovations at our disposal.
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That’s why a language line is most practical. Covers all languages, not just one.
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So you get it the language line is not working in Norwalk most of the time in most cases not at all.When traffic stops and robberies ect are going to continue to happen in Norwalk the language line is no longer a viable option in any city. Translators are needed there is no easy way out.So then you would agree having outside officers from other cities come and translate is not an option as well.So what do we do? Its a widespread problem any officer would tell you but for the most part is under directive not to say a word about any of this.
who knows maybe the NNHT can help they are the only thing we have positive working with the community no one else seems to be interested.
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John Nickersons article mom smoking pot with possible a PCP mix at Norwalk Hospital maternity ward wasn’t surprising was it?
The Advocate is certainly making it a point to help us all out understnding the variety of crime that is effecting our city.
His police reports are still the best, its the tool we have showing what type of crime we are experiencing.The ages of the arrested were 54 23 37 43 42 49 shows the mayors no house party policy is working out just fine maybe we can now ban bingo and get the rest of the perps off the street.
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hows that for a warm up #1?
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Loved Mr. Keogh’s letter to the Editor in The Hour today about Dr. Corda’s communication breakdown. Make sure you read it. Very funny!
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Language line is probably the most cost effective solution to cover the mandate. May need to do some research and see if there is a similar remote translation service
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It’s been 3 months since the election and all that Dick has managed to do is say he’s going to raise property taxes. We might as well voted for Walter instead.Can we see someone start work on reducing taxes?
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But as you were told its not working so a human translator is needed on all shifts out on the streets and in the dispatching office.How hard is it to find qualified people in to hire in Norwalk? Cost savings is never considered in mandates is it? Wasn’t some of the fereral funding to include this subject from the start?
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When a Spanish-speaking hospital receptionist refused to interpret during her lunch hour, doctors at St. Vincent’s Staten Island Hospital turned to a 7-year-old child to tell their patient, an injured construction worker, that he needed an emergency amputation.
With no one to bridge the language gap for another patient, a newly pregnant immigrant from Mexico with life-threatening complications, doctors pressed her to sign a consent form in English for emergency surgery. Understanding that the surgery was needed “to save the baby,” the young married woman awoke to learn that the operation had instead left her childless and sterile.
sometimes you need a human each case is not the same and sometimes convenience is not an option
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So you are saying we need a translator for all major languages 24 hrs at the police department?
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What one is saying your being ridiculous, Spanish is the problem the Norwalk police dept is having and your persistence in skirting the issue makes you a fine candidate for mayor.Only once in the last year did they have a chinese speaking barrier and maybe another dialect almost all instances as of recent concerning illegals speak spanish. With all the problems the police dept has had to date just from the Jan 1st over this issue one would hope its going to be addressed. If anyone knows of a situation that has arisen where civil rights have been voilated over communication
The address for complaints is:
Coordination and Review Section
Civil Rights Section
U.S. Department of Justice
P.O. Box 66560
Washington, D.C. 20035-6560As far as what the Norwalk police department needs we all shall here that soon from our leadership anything they are going to need is probably going to cost money we don’t have.
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Looks like you may have to go far to find an expert to help us on this subject where Norwalk has so little resource.
Kathryn O’Malley - New Haven, CT - I’m a university student and received my ESL teacher certification through the Cambridge CELTA. I have experience teaching all ages, nationalities, and English-speaking levels. Flexible hours.
Carrie Fossella - Norwalk, CT - I have a B.A. in Spanish and am well traveled throughout Spain and Latin America. I have experience working with students in grades k-12 as well as adults. My professional background is in social services where I directed academic outreach programs.
Mary Alice - West Hartford, CT - Retired School Administrator with credentials. Working with all ages.
DC
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Maybe norwalk police should be cross trained in immigration like Danbury police so they can return the illegals to their homelands and reduce this problem at less expense to the city. Let me know what instances you are talking about and I will have immigration investigate.
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NATIVITY AND LANGUAGE: Nineteen percent of the people living in Stamford–Norwalk, CT PMSA in 2003 were foreign born. Eighty-one percent were native, including 47 percent who were born in their state of residence.
Among people at least five years old living in Stamford–Norwalk, CT PMSA in 2003, 22 percent spoke a language other than English at home. Of those speaking a language other than English at home, 49 percent spoke Spanish and 51 percent spoke some other language; 35 percent reported that they did not speak English “very well.”
GEOGRAPHIC MOBILITY: In 2003, 91 percent of the people at least one year old living in Stamford–Norwalk, CT PMSA were living in the same residence one year earlier; 5 percent had moved during the past year from another residence in the same county, less than 0.5 percent from another county in the same state, 3 percent from another state, and 1 percent from abroad.
I’m sure there will be comments on this as well , but it simply shows if the thread started out by saying what the figures were the night would of been boring.I wonder what the figures are now bet they may be the next posting? But why rant no one follows this crap anyway do they?
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DANBURY — The Common Council voted 19-2 Wednesday to give Chief Al Baker authorization to enter into a partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (feb 8th)
The authorization gives Baker the green light to enroll officers — most likely two or three detectives — in a federal training program that will give them the ability to enforce immigration law.
#23 invite them here we have plenty of work for them as it is they help take a gun off the street a few weeks ago and cleaned out a house in South Norwalk it would be nice to see them here as in Danbury.They speak the language don’t they?
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Let’s see. 3-8 hour shifts per day, 7 days a week. At least 2 translators per shift to cover days off and vacation. 6 translators at 50k per year each. 300k per year plus another 100k in benefits for the 6 people. Total of 400k per year for the 5-10 calls that are delayed per year. Good plan. I think the 100 dollars per language line call is a little better. I think the language line covers the mandate and liability. Maybe handing out hooked on phonics tapes would be money better spent.
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It would be so hard to find a dispatcher who spoke spanish? I guess the application would have an extra box to check off as well.
Call Center 05 06 actual calls in our 911 center
# of emergency calls received 37,785
# of non-emergency calls received (est.) 279,0005-10 calls that are delayed per year was your point and the cost factor
mine was out of 300,000 calls a year any officer who works in Norwalk or any city can tell you its not the delay its walking into the unknown can take a life and that my friend is priceless when your an officers family.I’m also thinking of our dedicated firefighters when seconds count in saving a life and not being able to find the victim. I think you have missed the point from the start but its ok your simply not thinking from a emergency worker standpoint on the street your simply trying to tell us its not worth the time to argue your right and always will be.
For someone who needs to have the last word it will be the taxpayer and not us.Anyone can argue a point but I was defending the police and firefighters who at any given time are called ito a situation where direct clear communication is needed and all it would take is a spanish speaking dispatcher and not another 400k.So what was your point tonight are you a english speaking dispatcher in fear of losing your job?
I could care less either way my shift is not up until 8 am and so far its been slow and I have enjoyed shedding some light on a subject our dispatchers here enjoy the blog there not allowed to surf porn like some have at the Norwalk police station.
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I thought there would be at least 6 police officers, dispatchers, or office workers in the police department that spoke spanish. Or would your union prevent this??? You could assign them all to different shifts so they are all covered at no expense to the city. But that still leaves you with all the other languages in the world and only takes care of Spanish. What about all the other languages. That is why a language line type service is most appropriate. It protects the civil rights of ALL, not just one foreign speaking language in the community. If language line doesn’t work, find a similar service that does and keep my taxes down.
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Our taxes are going to go through the roof soon and all this talk about spanish is a waste of time no one cares.
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I agree. Mot worth the time effort and expense for the number of times it is needed
