CHINESE LANGUAGE LINE SPEAKS OF SUCCESS

AS it is now Chinese New Year, Merseyside Police is reminding the community of its language lines designed to help them report crimes and receive information from officers with greater ease. The Mandarin and Cantonese lines were launched last April and have helped dozens of people from the community since the service began. The language lines are there for the Chinese community to report crimes or leave information, anonymously if preferred, on the answer machine service which will be then be translated by a police volunteer. Callers will also hear messages in either Mandarin or Cantonese advising them to redial 999 if their call is an emergency. Sgt Mandy Hamilton, who set up the language lines with PC Kevin Byrne, the dedicated neighbourhood officer for China Town, said:- "We launched the two lines because we were missing vital information from a number of people from the Chinese community affected by crimes. We have had some very positive feedback from the community since its launch with it helping to bridge a gap between the police and the Chinese population in Merseyside enabling them to provide information to officers that will help to keep that community safe from crime. With a large number of Chinese residents and a continually changing Chinese student population of up to 6,000 at any given time the language line provides an important service to residents. We would encourage anyone within the Chinese community who is not fluent in English to call the lines so we can give them the help or the advice that they need." Among the residents helped by the language lines are an Anfield chip shop owner who was being blighted by anti-social behaviour, a refugee who had been refused status and did not know who to speak to about lodging a fresh appeal and an elderly couple in Croxeth who had historically been the victims of a burglaryand were given crime prevention advice. If callers who do not speak fluent English require a visit from an officer, arrangements will be made for an interpreter to attend the appointment, which will help reduce waiting times between reporting a crime and seeing action from Merseyside Police. The number for the Mandarin line is:- 0151 777 8034 while the number for the Cantonese line is:- 0151 777 8067. Anyone interested in volunteering to help with the language lines is asked to call Merseyside Police on:- 0151 777 4845.

CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS IN LIVERPOOL - PHOTOGRAPHIC REPORT
Photographs by Patrick Trollope

HAPPY  New Year to all our Chinese readers.  We hope you like this selection of photographs taken at this years New Year celebrations in the historic Liverpool China Town on Sunday 6 February 2011.   Also we are adding video footage taken at the event to our Southport.TV archive site very soon.

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If you like the photos, please order them and do not copy them.  Keep this site online....  Click on here to find out how you can get you copy of these photos.