Police Interpreter Services
in London
When a suspect is in custody, a witness needs to be interviewed, or a statement must be taken under PACE, there is no margin for error. Every word matters. Every legal term must be rendered correctly. Every pause, every clarification, every response must be interpreted precisely.
PACE interviews · Custody suites · Witness statements · Crime scenes · 200+ languages · 24/7 cover
Urgent Police Interpreter? Call 24/7
For custody and PACE interviews — response within 60-90 minutes.
Police Interpreting Is About Legal Safeguards, Not Just Translation
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) sets out the framework for police powers and safeguards for suspects. Under PACE Code C, a suspect who does not speak English is entitled to an interpreter who can accurately interpret the caution and all other procedural communications. This is not a matter of convenience — it is a legal requirement.
Our police interpreters are selected for their experience in this exact setting: PACE interviews, custody suites, witness interviews, victim interviews, and crime scene investigations. They understand the structure of a PACE interview, the importance of the caution and disclosure, and the need to interpret questions and answers without editing, without summarising, and without influencing the content of what is said.
This is why all our police interpreters are NRPSI registered and DBS enhanced checked — and why we maintain a 24/7 roster to handle emergency custody and interview requests across every London borough.
Common police interpreting situations
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01
PACE Interviews (Custody)Formal interviews under caution conducted in police custody. The interpreter must accurately interpret the caution, all questions and all answers.
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02
Witness Statement TakingAn interpreter who can help a witness give a clear, accurate account of what they have seen — without leading or influencing their evidence.
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03
Victim InterviewsSensitive interviews where victims need to be heard clearly and accurately, often in emotionally charged circumstances.
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04
Crime Scene & Investigation SupportInterpreters who can work alongside investigators at the scene or during related investigative interviews.
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05
Police Station AppointmentsOther police station work including identification procedures, forensic interviews and bail appointments.
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06
Remote Police InterpretingVideo and telephone interpreting for police interviews where on-site attendance is not possible — connected in minutes.
Police Interpreting for Every Setting
From the custody suite to the witness room — interpreters who know the procedure.
PACE Interview Interpreting
PACE Code C compliant interpreters for custody suite interviews. Accurately interpreting the caution, all questions and answers throughout the interview.
PACE Code C · NRPSICustody Suite Interpreting
On-site interpreters for all Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police custody centres across London. Familiar with custody booking procedures and time constraints.
Met · BTPWitness Statement Taking
Interpreters for taking witness statements — ensuring accurate translation of what the witness says without leading or influencing the content of the statement.
Statements · EvidenceVictim Interview Interpreting
Sensitive, trauma-informed interpreting for victim interviews. Our interpreters are trained to handle emotional and vulnerable situations with care and professionalism.
Trauma-informedCrime Scene & Investigation
Interpreters available for deployment at crime scenes, forensic interviews and related investigative work where precise communication is essential.
Crime Scene · ForensicsUrgent & Emergency Cover
24/7 emergency roster for custody, PACE interviews and urgent police requirements. Our dispatcher can confirm an interpreter within minutes and have them on-site typically within 60-90 minutes.
24/7 · 60-90 minPolice Station Appointments
Interpreting for other police station appointments including identification procedures, bail appointments and forensic interviews.
All police settingsRemote Police Interpreting (VRI & OPI)
Video and telephone interpreting for police interviews where an on-site interpreter cannot attend. Connected in minutes, available 24/7, compliant with police data protection requirements.
Zoom · Teams · Secure200+ Languages for Police Interpreting
From the most-requested languages in London police custody to rare dialects — we have interpreters for them all.
Need a language not listed here? We cover 200+ languages — including Albanian, Amharic, Oromo, Wolof, Hausa, Lingala, Kinyarwanda, Twi, Nepali, Sinhala and many more. Rare and regional dialects available on request for specialist police operations. WhatsApp us the language and we’ll confirm availability before you book.
What Separates a Professional Police
Interpreter from a Bilingual Speaker
The difference is not obvious until something goes wrong. Here is what every police interpreter we deploy carries.
NRPSI Registered — PACE Compliant
Every police interpreter we provide is on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters — the required standard for PACE interviews and custody work. You can verify any interpreter’s registration at nrpsi.org.uk before the appointment.
Verify at nrpsi.org.uk →Experienced in Police Settings
Our interpreters have worked hundreds of PACE interviews, custody suite appointments, witness interviews and victim interviews. They understand the legal framework and the need for exact, impartial interpreting.
Fast Response — 60-90 Minutes
For urgent custody and PACE interviews, we can dispatch an interpreter within 60-90 minutes across London. Our 24/7 dispatcher handles all emergency requests. For standard bookings, we confirm availability and price within 30 minutes.
Remote Interpreting — Connected in Minutes
For remote hearings, telephone interviews and urgent situations where an on-site interpreter cannot attend, video and telephone interpreting can be connected in minutes. No travel costs, available 24/7.
DBS Enhanced & Security Cleared
All police interpreters are DBS enhanced checked. Where required, they hold additional police security clearance for custody suites and sensitive operations. Strict confidentiality applies by default.
Transparent Pricing — No Hidden Fees
All police interpreting rates are confirmed before booking. No surprise invoices, no hidden call-out charges. Clear itemised quotes for every assignment — including urgent, out-of-hours and weekend bookings.
Who We Work With
From police forces to law firms representing suspects and victims — we work with everyone involved in the police process.
Metropolitan Police
Interpreting services for Metropolitan Police custody suites, PACE interviews, witness interviews and victim interviews across all London boroughs.
British Transport Police
Interpreting services for British Transport Police — including railway custody facilities, interview suites and investigative work across London.
Criminal Defence Solicitors
Interpreting for suspects and defendants in police stations and custody suites — often at very short notice under PACE requirements.
Victim Support Organisations
Interpreters for victim support charities and organisations working with victims of crime who need language assistance during police interviews and support sessions.
Crown Prosecution Service
Interpreting for CPS interviews and review meetings — ensuring accurate communication between prosecutors and victims, witnesses or defendants.
Specialist Police Units
Interpreting for specialist police units including child protection, domestic abuse, counter-terrorism and complex investigation teams.
Professional Standards That
Meet Police Requirements
Police interpreting is not like other interpreting settings. The legal framework — particularly PACE — imposes specific requirements on how interviews are conducted and how interpretation is delivered. Our interpreters are briefed on these requirements and follow the NRPSI Code of Conduct to the letter.
They interpret exactly what is said — no editing, no summarising, no adding or removing content. This is what PACE requires. This is what courts and prosecutors expect. This is what a fair process demands.
We also maintain strict confidentiality protocols for all police interpreting work. No details of cases or interviews are retained after an assignment is complete.
Complete Confidentiality
GDPR compliant. All interpreters sign confidentiality agreements. No case details are retained after an assignment is complete.
Accuracy as a Non-Negotiable
Our interpreters interpret everything said — no editing, no summarising, no influencing. This is what PACE and court-standard interpreting requires.
Strict Impartiality
Interpreters do not advocate for either party. In police interviews, this impartiality is what makes the interpretation credible and legally admissible.
24/7 Availability
Custody and PACE interviews happen at any hour. We maintain a 24/7 roster of police interpreters ready to deploy across London at short notice.
What Solicitors & Clients Say
We brought in this team for a two-day assignment — our client needed an interpreter throughout, and they delivered without a single issue. Punctual, professional, and the interpreter handled some fairly technical legal discussion without missing a beat. We’ll be using them again.
I needed an interpreter at short notice for an immigration hearing. Not easy to sort at the last minute, but they had someone confirmed within a few hours and he was excellent — calm, accurate, and knew the legal terminology. Genuinely took the stress out of a difficult day.
English is not my first language and the legal process here was quite confusing. The interpreter was patient — not just translating words but actually making sure I understood what was going on. The price was fair, no surprises at the end. I would use them again without hesitation.
Police Interpreter Services London — FAQs
Questions we are asked most often by police forces, solicitors and clients before booking.
Yes — for PACE interviews and police custody work, the standard requires an NRPSI registered interpreter. All our police interpreters are on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters and DBS enhanced checked. You can verify any interpreter at nrpsi.org.uk.
For urgent custody and PACE interviews, we can typically dispatch an interpreter within 60-90 minutes across London. Telephone and video remote interpreting can be connected within minutes. Our 24/7 dispatcher handles all emergency requests. Standard bookings are confirmed within 30 minutes.
Yes. PACE interviews (under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984) are our core police interpreting service. Our interpreters are experienced in the structure of PACE interviews, including the caution, disclosure and the need for precise legal terminology. All interpreters are familiar with PACE Code C requirements.
Yes. We supply interpreters to police custody suites across all London boroughs — including the Metropolitan Police custody centres and British Transport Police custody facilities. Our interpreters are familiar with custody booking procedures and time constraints.
We cover 200+ languages — including Arabic (all dialects), Mandarin, Cantonese, Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Dari, Farsi, Somali, Tigrinya, Bengali, Turkish, Kurdish, Romanian, Albanian, Amharic, Oromo, Wolof, Nepali, Sinhala and many more. If you need a language that is not listed, contact us and we will confirm availability.
Yes. Video remote interpreting (VRI) and telephone interpreting are available for police interviews and custody settings where an on-site interpreter cannot attend. Remote interpreting can be connected in minutes via secure platforms and is available 24/7.
Yes. All our police interpreters hold enhanced DBS checks as standard — a requirement for police custody and PACE interview work. We can provide evidence of DBS clearance on request before the assignment.
Yes. We provide interpreters for witness statement taking, victim interviews, vulnerable witness interviews and other police investigative settings. Our interpreters are experienced in working with vulnerable individuals and are briefed before each assignment.
For urgent police requests, call our 24/7 dispatcher on +44 1618 261 333. For standard bookings, use the form on this page or WhatsApp us. We confirm availability and a clear price within 30 minutes — and for custody work, we dispatch immediately.
Police Interpreter Confirmed
Within 60-90 Minutes
For custody, PACE interviews and urgent police requirements — call our 24/7 dispatcher. We confirm a qualified, NRPSI registered interpreter and a clear price without delay.
Book a Police Interpreter — Free Quote in 30 Minutes
Tell us the police station, language, type of appointment and urgency. We confirm an NRPSI registered interpreter and a clear price within 30 minutes — or dispatch immediately for custody work.
Office 17690, 182-184 High Street North, East Ham, London E6 2JA
Request a Free Quote
Response within 30 minutes during business hours — urgent 24/7 cover available.
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© 2026 IM Translation Services — Professional police interpreting in London. NRPSI registered · DBS checked · PACE compliant · 24/7 cover.
Office 17690, 182-184 High Street North, East Ham, London E6 2JA · +44 1618 261 333 · contact@translationslondon.uk