Denver police settles lawsuit over allegations of discrimination against people who aren't proficient in English

Denver police discriminated against people who speak limited English, according to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The U.S. Attorney's Office Monday announced an agreement with the Denver Police Department, whereby Denver will change its policies and training to provide better language access to residents interacting with police.

The investigation by DOJ began after community members raised concerns about incidents involving Denver police and Burmese and Rohingya-speaking residents near East Colfax.

Under the settlement, DPD must rely on trained translators and not family members or bystanders - except in emergencies - when encountering individuals with limited English proficiency.

In a statement, Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said "as populations evolve, so must our tools and training so that we can best serve all of our community, especially limited English proficient residents who may already be reluctant to report crime or engage with police."

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said the move will help both police and the residents they interact with.

"Providing law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to ensure effective and meaningful language access promotes and advances greater safety for limited English proficient people," Clarke said in a statement. "Through this Initiative, we will be able to share these language access best practices and similar resources with law enforcement agencies all across the country."