West Midlands Police Instructed to Use NRPSI Interpreters where ALS Fails
I just received a call from a West Midlands Police officer who wanted to check if I was available for an urgent interview with a suspect. I asked him about the contract with ALS and he informed me that they had been instructed to book interpreters directly where ALS fails to provide one. It seemed to me that he was well aware that RPSIs are refusing to accept even direct bookings, because he said this to me: "If you are not happy or available to interpret, then I have list of interpreters in front of me and I will make a few more calls". I wished him best of luck with finding one.
It's only the three of us in the whole of the Midlands and I know that the other two are demonstrating in London today. I don't know which list the officer was talking about.
More importantly, we all know that courts and tribunals had been authorised to start booking interpreters directly where ALS couldn't provide one. Now it is clear that the same applies to the Police.
Our method of non-cooperation is working. Please be patient for a bit more and we will see the results.
Many thanks and all the best.
