LAWRENCE, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) - The Lawrence Police Department is investigating one of their own for allegedly mishandling emergency calls.
A dispatcher is accused of turning away callers who spoke only Spanish, in a city where most residents speak that language.
Protocol here at the Lawrence police department is to help any 911 caller in any language, connecting them with one of several available translators.
But at the Lawrence police department emergency calls like this were turned away.
FOX25 obtained 911 recordings courtesy of Chief James Fitzpatrick, concerned by what a routine audit revealed.
“We came across these particular calls showing that this person was ineffective at their job so we took it upon further investigation, look into it as a personnel matter,” he said.
Fitzpatrick made it clear, when it comes to calling Lawrence Police, language should never be a barrier, especially in a city where 75 percent speak Spanish.
“You'd bring an interpreter online with through the 911 system and they'd help you walk through the call and what the issue was,” he said.
The chief wouldn't name the employee, but he said she has a history of similar violations.
“It was a matter of them not handling calls correctly, they're not getting provided with public safety services,” Fitzpatrick said.
He said it’s a past he hopes never to repeat.
“We want to make sure everybody is confident that when they call the Lawrence Police Department they're going to get the services that they need,” he said.
That employee is on leave and the chief said he would be inclined to terminate her, but is working with the union.