Video/Jeffrey Hastings – Frame of Mind Photography
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Earlier this month, the Manchester Police Department provided details to members of the public on a new app they hope can prevent misunderstandings when dealing with people who are not fluent in English.
The new app, Convey911, was first used by local police in July and costs around $6,500 annually in subscription fees. Each police officer now has the app on their phones, providing instant communication between officers and members of the community who have difficulty speaking English. Convey911 can assist with translation for 350 languages as well as sign language.
Manchester Police Department Assistant Chief Peter Marr says the app has helped build police interaction with community members who may not have been able to communicate with police in the past.
“We hope this (app) will allow people to feel like they’re part of the community, that they can come to us and we can help them,” said Marr. “When someone came into us in the past and found an officer who spoke their language, you really see their eyes up, that they know they will be represented well and communicate their concerns. Moving forward, we anticipate this app will help us create more situations like that.”
Police Commissioner Eva Castillo, a native Spanish speaker, helped demonstrate the application during the meeting. She was impressed with the app’s video capability, echoing Marr’s belief that this will help build more confidence in police within communities of Manchester’s non-native English speakers.
“It’s going to make it easy for people to come here and communicate and express what it is they’re trying to express rather than having to scramble for two hours and find somebody that can understand them,” she said.