(The Center Square) — As he prepares to step down, Mayor Eric Adams is making a high-tech push to help New York City become one of the most “language-friendly” cities in the world.
The lame duck Democrat signed an executive order Monday setting into motion a plan that will require city agencies and the NYPD to use Google Translate, Apple’s built-in Translate app and other programs to make city services more accessible to non-English speaking New Yorkers. Adams said the move will help eliminate language barriers in the nation’s most populous city.
“This is a global city, and we’re going to ensure we communicate as a global city,” Adams, who steps down on Jan. 1, said in remarks Monday. “We want every New Yorker, every agency to evaluate how they can further incorporate translation technologies into their day-to-day interaction with the public.”
Adams said the city’s Office of Technology and Innovation and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs have been testing translation apps to determine which programs will work best and acknowledged that the technology is “not perfect” and “clearly evolving” and will require additional review before it’s implemented.
“But it’s a far cry from having to wait only on the Language Line to be able to communicate with over 140 different languages here in the city,” he said.
Under the plan, the city plans to install language applications on more than 100,000 city-owned electronic devices and implement a new program in the public school system that will allow for translations of the top 12 languages spoken by students and their families, according to the Adams administration.
Meanwhile, the New York City Police Department’s Patrol Guide Policy is being updated to allow officers to use translation apps while interacting with the public, the administration said.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who was tapped by Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to lead the agency for his administration, said she supports the program.
She said NYPD officers speak 109 different languages and come from more than 140 different countries. But in a city that speaks nearly 200 distinct languages, “even our officers might need some help talking to their neighbors.”
“Clear communication is essential to public safety,” Tisch said in remarks Monday. “Our officers interact with New Yorkers who speak dozens of different languages, often in situations where time and understanding matter. Expanding access to real-time translation tools helps officers communicate more clearly, respond more effectively, and better serve the people who need help.”
