The Warwick Town Police Department has used grant money to purchase several Guardian Language Translator devices to better equip officers to engage with people who speak a primary language different from English. The device can translate 144 different languages when connected to Wi-Fi and 16 languages when offline; costs $199 per unit, according to the Guardian Language Translator website.
At the April 10 Warwick Town Board meeting, Warwick Town Police Chief John Rader reported that the department has used grant funding to purchase several Guardian Language Translator devices.
The devices will make police officers better equipped to engage with people who speak a primary language different from English.
The device, founded by Middletown Police Officers Jonathan Reyes and Hensley Caraballo, can translate 144 different languages when connected to Wi-Fi and 16 languages when offline, Rader reported.
Rader said the Guardian Translator proved effective on a recent traffic stop involving a Venezuelan family from Queens who needed assistance. He said the device helped put the family at ease when dealing with the police.
According to the Guardian Language Translator website, each device costs $199.