As part of the city’s Inclusion/Diversity Initiative, Renton has implemented a city-wide telephone interpretation system.

Called Language Line, the new system is designed to eliminate language barriers for non-English- speaking residents of the city. Residents can now use this system to conference in an interpreter and communicate effectively with any city representative.

Language Line offers professional interpreters fluent in more than 200 languages available for assistance 24/7. City representatives are trained to access the Language Line from any phone and set up a three-way call with the translator and the non-English speaker. Walk-in customers can access the dual handset telephones that will allow them to conference in the translator and a city representative.

While many departments have been using the service previously, the citywide implementation began in October, according to Preeti Shridhar, deputy public affairs administrator.

“We are pleased to offer free interpretation services as a resource to all members of our community through the Language Line,” said Shridhar. “So far our records show that the Language Line is being used and it is definitely serving a community need. This is one more tool in our efforts to be an inclusive city.”

Language Line has been especially helpful for Utility Billing and Community Services departments, as well as Human Resources and Public Works.

The Police Department has been successfully using the service for a while, according to Commander David Leibman, a department spokesman.

“It’s a great tool and resource when we use it,” said Leibman. “We’ve been using it for years.”

For Detective Chris Edwards, the Language Line is useful when he is communicating with non-English speakers while on patrol.

“Given the situation, we need more details other than a basic description,” he said. “When we get to a scene and there isn’t a (bilingual) officer, we use Language Line to get those details. It’s a very essential service.”

“If I was approached and I didn’t speak English, and someone takes that extra step, I would think they do care about me,” Edwards added. “It’s an invaluable service for us in the field.”

The most-requested languages are Spanish, Mandarin and Vietnamese. Shridhar also said there have been several requests for Laotian, Russian and Mongolian.

The service costs the city about 0.98 per language per minute. So far, Shridhar estimates the service to have cost about $150 a month.

“While usually one doesn’t like receiving bills, these bills are good news since they indicate the Language Line is being used and we are serving a need,” she said.

The city is closely monitoring how frequently the service is being used, as well as the duration of each call and the departments that use the service the most.