Do you or someone you know speak Thai?
If so, the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office wants you.
The Sheriff’s Office is looking for a local resident who can assist with Thai translation when needed. It wouldn’t be often, but in rare instances it would be helpful to have someone who is fluent in both English and Thai, said Dan Bender, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.
“The Sheriff’s Office did have an instance recently when a Thai translator would have been helpful,” he said Monday in a news release.
La Plata County draws international visitors, and it can be a challenge for law enforcement and medical services to communicate with people who don’t speak English, he said.
The Sheriff’s Office has deputies and other staff who speak Spanish, Danish, French, German, Dutch, Chinese and Portuguese, but Thai remains elusive. The agency can rely on out-of-area Thai translators who assist over the phone, but it would rather find someone who lives in the area who can be in the same room with deputies or investigators should the need arise.
Anyone interested in volunteering their services can call Investigator Jim Hendricks at 382-7018.
shane@durangoherald.com
