9 years after Guatemalan man's shooting, LAPD officers get help to identify indigenous languages
LOS ANGELES - The officer at the front desk of the LAPD's Rampart station couldn't understand the language the distraught mother and daughter were speaking. So he called over the intercom for help.
As she listened to the mother speak, Officer Lucia McKenzie identified a familiar rhythm.
"I said, 'K'iche'?' and she got super happy, a big smile on her face," McKenzie said.
K'iche', spoken by Guatemalan Mayas, is one of many indigenous languages common in Los Angeles' immigrant communities. Later this month, Los Angeles Police Department officers will begin carrying pocket cards that can help them identify an indigenous language and, if necessary, call an interpreter. The city is home to Mexicans who speak languages such as Zapotec, Mixtec and Triqui, as well as Guatemalan Mayas who speak languages like K'iche' and Q'anjob'al.
