New York City government employees are required to install translation apps to communicate with non-English-speaking customers.

New York City officials have announced a new step toward digitalization. City services will begin to make greater use of translation apps to improve communication with non-English-speaking residents. ABC7 explains how New York City is improving support for people who need translation.

On December 8, Mayor Eric Adams instructed city departments to explore new ways to improve communication with all residents. They should more actively use linguistic technologies to make services more accessible.

Adams called this one of the key priorities of his administration. He noted that more than 175 languages ​​are spoken in the city, creating communication barriers among its residents.

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"Our inability to communicate prevents people from accessing government services. It's simply unfair," Adams said.

Translation apps for employees' smartphones

The mayor instructed all city departments whose employees use smartphones to install translation apps. There are over 100,000 such devices. These apps include Google Translate and Apple's built-in translator.

How it works in the police

Police have been using smartphones with translators for nearly ten years. However, according to New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch, there were limitations previously.

"Official policy required them to call the transfer hotline for any official transfers," she explained.

This service helps with over-the-phone translation. In 2023, officers used it more than 244,000 times. Now, the new policy aims to reduce the gap.

"If they don't want to connect the language line, they can use Google Translate," Tish clarified.

New service for schools

New York City Public Schools have developed a new app called Hello. It will help reduce language barriers with speech recognition and synthesis.

The app will be able to provide real-time translation and interpretation of 12 of the most commonly spoken languages ​​among New York City students.

“Every day, our schools work hand-in-hand with families to provide our students with a world-class education and critical support,” said school system Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos.

She believes that effective and reliable communication between schools and families is critical to children's success.

The application is planned to be launched in the spring of 2026.