Res. No. 238 Title Resolution in support of Assembly Bill 7105 to provide additional compensation to employees of the New York City Police Department who speak or utilize a foreign language in the performance of their duties. Body By Council Members Martinez, Baez, Comrie, Monserrate, Reyna, Sanders and Seabrook; also Council Members Clarke, Serrano and Liu Whereas, Given the new reality that the City of New York is facing in the wake of terrorist attacks, the ability of all communities of the City of New York to communicate with the New York City Police Department, and vice versa, has taken on a greater sense of importance and urgency; and Whereas, The proficiency and sensitivity with which the New York City Police Department can communicate with the people they are sworn to protect helps to foster better police-community relations and furthers the public safety of all who reside in the City of New York; and Whereas, The service delivery of the New York City Police Department has been and is currently hampered in a number of communities in the City of New York due to language barriers; and Whereas, Assembly Bill 7105 would provide for additional compensation in an amount of not less than five percent of the base salary of any employee of the Police Department who speaks or utilizes a foreign language in the performance of their everyday duties; and Whereas, The passage of such a bill in the State Legislature would further aid the New York City Police Department's efforts to recruit officers from minority communities and help the Department further mirror the demographic make-up of the City of New York; and Whereas, The passage of such a bill would allow the Police Commissioner to officially create a Language Services Program and put into place a formal office that will determine and administer an application process, define foreign languages eligible for the program, establish language skills and proficiency levels candidates must demonstrate, and disseminate this information to the members of the Department and encourage their applications; and Whereas, This bill would require that the selected sworn or civilian official must spend thirty-percent or more of his or her assignment involved with the general public, thus ensuring the ability to communicate with various members of the public; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the State Assembly to pass Assembly Bill 7105 to provide additional compensation to employees of the New York City Police Department who speak or utilize a foreign language in the performance of their duties.