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SALT LAKE CITY — A new report suggests a large portion of Utah law enforcement agencies are falling short when it comes to serving individuals who speak little to no English.
An American Civil Liberties Union of Utah report examining law enforcement policies that govern interactions with such individuals found that only half of the agencies followed standard practices, which the report defined as having elements like training, community outreach, authorized interpreters and written forms and guidelines.
Meanwhile, 22% of agencies were found to have deficient policies, 7% were highly deficient and "a staggering" 20% — including the Utah Highway Patrol — have no written policy in place.
"Utah law enforcement agencies at every level — state, county and city — have many reasons, and even obligations, to have policies in place," the report reads. "We recognize that there are operational restraints associated with these recommendations and that Utah law enforcement agencies have varying budgets and resources. Yet, we also underscore that providing limited English proficient services is not optional but required under federal law. Limited English proficient individuals have the constitutional right to receive limited English proficient services that are dependable, consistent and widely available."
The report analyzed policy records requested from the Utah Highway Patrol, all 29 county sheriff's offices, police departments from the state's 25...
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