Minnesota Police Translate Tongues With New Device
Police in Burnsville, Minn., have started using an electronic device that translates English into 15 languages in just a few seconds, hoping to save time
Police in Burnsville, Minn., have started using an electronic device that translates English into 15 languages in just a few seconds, hoping to save time when questioning Spanish, Russian, and Southeast Asian residents.
The device, called a “phraselator,” is used in only a few police departments in the nation, according to its designer, VoxTech.
The company made the device for the military and debuted a customized version for police this summer. Before the Burnsville Police Department started using the phraselator, officers waited anywhere from a few minutes to hours to find the right translator.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Investor’s Business Daily (10/05/04) P. A6 .