NYC Gazette

Breon Peace, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, along with Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, announced a Voluntary Technical Assistance Agreement between the United States and the Freeport Police Department in New York. This agreement is part of a cooperative effort to develop a language access program that ensures police services are accessible to individuals with limited English proficiency.

This initiative marks the first Voluntary Technical Assistance Agreement under the Department of Justice's Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative (LELAI). It reflects a mutual desire to enhance language access services without being prompted by any investigation or complaint against Freeport Police Department. The DOJ has praised Freeport Police for their proactive approach in establishing an effective language access program.

United States Attorney Peace emphasized the importance of effective communication between law enforcement and community members, regardless of language barriers. "Working collaboratively with FPD, we will improve public safety for all and hope to replicate this agreement with other law enforcement agencies throughout the Eastern District of New York," he stated.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke highlighted that LELAI is designed for police departments committed to accurate communication. She noted that it aims to ensure crime victims and witnesses can report incidents effectively while maintaining evidence reliability and promoting community trust. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to work cooperatively with law enforcement agencies across the country that seek to remove language barriers in policing,” Clarke said.

LELAI was launched in December 2022 as a nationwide effort supporting law enforcement agencies in addressing language barriers during public interactions. The initiative aligns with efforts under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.

Under this two-year voluntary agreement, DOJ will assist Freeport Police Department in developing policies, procedures, interpretation protocols, community partnerships, and training aimed at enhancing officer safety, public safety, crime control, evidence collection reliability, and community trust.

LELAI offers technical assistance resources aiding state and local law enforcement agencies in providing meaningful language access. By engaging willing law enforcement entities proactively reviewing their language access policies and training plans, LELAI seeks to foster stronger relationships between these agencies and communities with limited English proficiency populations.

Further information about civil rights work from EDNY U.S. Attorney’s Office is available on its website along with resources from the Civil Rights Division at www.justice.gov/crt. Details on limited English proficiency matters can be found at www.lep.gov.

This case is managed by Eastern District of New York Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Freismuth, Michael Goldberger, and Dara Olds from the Civil Division’s Civil Rights Team.