The National Police Agency (NPA) has launched a pilot project for online language interpretation, aiming to help foreign residents report crimes and deal with judicial procedures, the agency said yesterday.
The project would be conducted in six local jurisdictions from next month to February next year, said Yu Jen-pai (游任白), an officer in the agency’s International Affairs Division.
The project is a collaboration of the police departments in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as Nantou, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, Yu said.
Interpreters would provide assistance through an online system to foreigners, helping them report crimes, fill out judicial documents and when being questioned as part of an investigation, he said.
“The service will ensure that foreigners’ language rights are guaranteed,” Yu said. “It will also protect the rights of crime victims and of those being questioned as part of an investigation, as well as criminal suspects. It will improve communication and case handling by law enforcement officers when dealing with foreigners.”
The scarcity of interpreters at rural police precincts makes the project necessary, the agency said.
The project would also include classes for police officers, judicial interpreter testing and work on telecommunication links, it said.
It would also help officers deal remotely with people with unknown COVID-19 infection status during the pandemic, it added.
However, the agency still prefers in-person interpretation, if possible, Yu said.
NPA data showed that there are 1,384 police interpreters in Taiwan, including 1,096 for Southeast Asian languages such as Vietnamese, Thai, Bahasa Indonesia and local languages of the Philippines.
While most other interpreters speak English, French, Spanish or Italian, the pool also includes native speakers of Russian or other eastern European languages, Yu said.
The project would be evaluated next year, and the NPA hopes that it can expand the service and attract more interpreters to join, Yu said.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
RSS