Would you like some background? Establishing shared rights and duties in video relay service calls to the police

Abstract

When an interpreter mediates a call from the public to a police force control room (FCR), the partnership established between the interpreter and the call-handler is critical to the caller’s ability to be understood and supported. Using Davies and Harré’s Positioning Theory, this study investigates different approaches to the establishment of relationships and identities during the opening phases of a non-emergency police video relay services (VRS) call. The data consist of four simulated VRS-interpreted calls to a Police Scotland FCR and focus group reflections. This article describes two opening approaches to interpreter-mediated communication, namely the emergent approach, where rights and duties are established and reviewed, and the process-driven approach, which focuses on the completion of tasks. The emergent approach demonstrates the benefits of establishing consent and the multiple roles that are collectively performed, whereas a process-driven approach during the opening phase of a call does not train callers how to participate in a 101VRS call. The findings emphasise the need for trainers and policymakers to support interpreters in handling their auxiliary role as first call receiver.