Dane County Sheriff’s Office, Language Access Agreement, Madison WI, 2024

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Table of Contents

Dane County Sheriff’s Office Settles Language Access Probe

Madison, WI – The Office of the Sheriff of Dane County, Wisconsin has agreed to take new measures to improve language access for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) in the county, following a probe by the US government.

The investigation, part of the Public Safety Language Access Initiative, found that the sheriff’s office may have discriminated against an LEP individual during a homicide investigation, leading to a misidentification of individuals involved in the case.

According to the probe, the sheriff’s office denied adequate language services to the individual, which can be considered a form of national origin discrimination prohibited by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke stated, ‘To serve and protect all communities in the United States, our state and local law enforcement agencies must be able to communicate effectively with victims, witnesses, and other members of the public who do not speak English.’

In a memorandum of understanding, the sheriff’s office has agreed to establish a formal language access policy, including staff training, quality control measures, and community outreach initiatives. The office will also undergo a period of federal supervision.

The agreement is part of the Public Safety Language Access Initiative, a national effort to help law enforcement agencies overcome language barriers to better serve communities and keep officers safe. The initiative, led by the Civil Rights Division in partnership with the US Attorneys’ Offices, provides tools and technical assistance to help state and local law enforcement agencies provide meaningful language access to LEP individuals.

The probe was launched after the government received information that raised concerns about the sheriff’s office’s language access practices. The office has agreed to work with the government to implement reforms and improve its language access services.