A Case Un-Interpreted

In 2014, Dora Mejia, a Spanish speaker in San Francisco’s Mission District and victim of domestic violence, was wrongfully arrested after police officers failed to provide her with an interpreter. Dora’s case and the events that follow shed light on what community members believe is an enduring issue: While the San Francisco Police Department has arguably the most advanced language access policies of any department in the country, it consistently fails to follow through with them. How is the SFPD working to address this issue? Susie Neilson reports.