PARKER, CO — A Parker police officer used a body-worn camera translation tool during a routine traffic stop after stopping a vehicle with a burned-out taillight. The encounter happened in Parker, a Denver suburb, when the officer quickly realized the driver could not communicate comfortably in English.
According to the Parker Police Department, the officer identified the driver as a Mandarin speaker and used a few button presses on the camera to help bridge the language gap. The technology then played the officer’s questions back in Mandarin so the driver could understand what was being asked.
The department said the officer was able to ask for the driver’s license and insurance without calling for another interpreter.
How The Translation Worked
The body-camera system was developed by Axon and is designed to provide real-time translation during encounters between officers and people who speak different languages. In this case, the camera allowed the officer to communicate directly instead of waiting for dispatch to find a translator…