West Midlands Police: savings on interpreters that were never made with Capita TI
Cops lose 7,000 a day in translation
CASH-strapped police force is spending £7,000 a day on interpreters to deal with foreign suspects.
New figures show West Midlands Police pay out up to £202,000 a month for translation services.
But the company Applied Language Solutions – which has a £90million Home Office contract to supply translators nationwide – has been slated by JPs and judges in the area for failings which have led to costly court delays and collapsed trials.
The fees being paid to ALS have been published for the first time by the new Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office.
Oldham-based ALS, which recently changed its name to Capita Translation and Interpreting, is earning around £2m a year from the West Midlands force alone
Souce: Daily Star, 21st February 2013
FACT CHECK: Back in September 2011 (Birmingham Post):
West Midlands Police is to cut 40 per cent off the £1.8 million a year it spends paying interpreters to communicate with non-English speaking offenders.
The force, which has to save £126 million over four years as part of Government budget cuts, said it can save at least £750,000 a year by changing the way it employs translators.
Now private firm Applied Language Solutions has been awarded a contract by the Ministry of Justice to manage interpreting services for the criminal justice system. West Midlands Police said the firm would find the nearest and most suitable interpreter for its needs..
