1. CRIME AND TRANSLATION Threlford Lecture, 2018 Prof Joanna Drugan
University of East Anglia

2. THE PROBLEM: TRANSNATIONAL ORGANISED CRIME
Transnational organized crime encompasses virtually all serious profit-motivated criminal actions of an international nature where more than one country is involved. There are many activities that can be characterized as transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking, smuggling of migrants, human trafficking, money-laundering, trafficking in firearms, counterfeit goods, wildlife and cultural property, and even some aspects of cybercrime. […] Transnational organized crime is not stagnant, but is an everchanging industry, adapting to markets and creating new forms of crime. In short, it is an illicit business that transcends cultural, social, linguistic and geographical boundaries and one that knows no borders or rules.
Transnational Organized Crime – The Globalized Illegal Economy, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,

4. MAIN GLOBAL TOC FLOWS
SOURCE: UNODC (2010: 2)

5. …AND TRANSLATION
Crime is increasingly organised by crime ‘networks’ whose members communicate across multiple languages.
(Europol 2015)
We need to “treat and consider TOC as a plague spreading alongside increasing globalization – the darker side of modernity.”
(Allum and Gilmour 2012: 2)

6. AN ILLUSTRATION: OPERATION LAKELAND

7. UK RIGHTS TO TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING
Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE), 1984; Directive 2010/64/EU

10. TOCAT RESEARCH TEAM
Researcher expertise in international relations, interpreting studies, legal translation/interpreting, migration studies, translation studies
Andri Innes, UEA Heidi Salaets, KU Leuven Katalin Balogh, KU Leuven

11. TOCAT OVERVIEW Main research question:
How can police officers and interpreters/translators work together effectively to understand, prevent and prosecute transnational organised crime when officers, suspects and witnesses don’t speak the same language?

12. Researchers’ role: Does it work? Could it work better?
TOCAT BACKGROUND
First national joint training for linguists and police officers (2015)
Police Language Services Working Group (2015)
Draft Authorised Police Protocol on working with interpreters and translators ( ongoing)
Associated training embedded in investigative interview learning outcomes (2018)
Researchers’ role: Does it work? Could it work better?

13. BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE AND POLICY
UK Cabinet Office, Behavioural Insights Team

14. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS Linguists Police and Home Office
Professional challenges
Ethical challenges
Next steps

15. FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS VERY WELCOME THANK YOU!