NEW POLICE APP INTRODUCES INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES

W.A Police say the release of a new app used by officers will significantly reduce tension if an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person needs to be arrested.

Karratha Officer-In-Charge, Danial Strachan says the Yarning app is currently loaded with eight Indigenous languages that can be used by officers to communicate better with a suspect who speaks little or no English.

“and it plays loud key messages relating to issues including rights and custody and also the messages including the covid-19 pandemic and these messages is hope to improve the understanding amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait people who do not speaking which has their first language particularly those in you know remote communities.”

Ngarluma Elder, Maureen Kelly says the Yarning App can deescalate a situation.

“It could be a simple thing like not wearing a safety belt and then they might say something and then that Aboriginal person doesn't understand it and they start to get aggressive then the police man starts to get

aggressive. Then there's a bit of a scuffle, there's resisting arrest, hitting a policeman.”

So what starts off as being a small fine of no seat belt could end up with a three month to three years sentence. So we we see this as reducing the number of arrests and reducing the escalation of arrests.”

More languages are planned to be added to the Yarning App, which has also received overseas attention from countries such as Canada.