Interpreter/Translator Pay.
Milwaukee Code of Ordinances § 350-134
in effect350-134. Interpreter/Translator Pay.
1. POSITIONS ELIGIBLE. Employees in active service on or after August 6, 1989, and in the following position classifications shall be eligible for the compensation provided for under this section, subject to the terms and conditions established in this section therefor:
a. Chief of police.
b. Assistant chief of police.
c. Inspector of police.
2. WHEN REQUIRED. The chief of police is authorized to direct employees under sub. 1 to perform interpreter/translator duties consistent with employees' capabilities for such duties and the needs of the police service. Employees shall perform authorized interpreter/translator duties as a result of:
a. Direction from the employee's commanding officer; or
b. The employee's response to a request for an interpreter/translator broadcast over the police department radio network. If more than one employee responds to such a request, only those employees actually needed to perform interpreter/translator duties shall be entitled to receive interpreter/translator pay.
3. COMPENSATION. An eligible employee shall be entitled to receive premium pay, termed "interpreter/translator pay", equal to $1.00 per hour in addition to his or her base salary for each actual hour or nearest 0.1 of an hour spent performing interpreter/translator duties. Interpreter/translator pay shall be compensated at a flat rate of $1.00 per hour irrespective of whether the employee is in premium pay status.
4. ADMINISTRATION. a. Interpreter/ translator duties eligible for compensation shall be limited to authorized duties performed by the employee involving interpretation or translation of a language other than English at a level of competence deemed acceptable to the police department. Such "other languages" comprise the following non-English languages currently recognized by the police department:
a-1. American Sign.
a-2. German.
a-3. Greek.
a-4. Italian.
a-5. Kurdish.
a-6. Polish.
a-7. Russian.
a-8. Spanish.
b. An employee possessing interpreter/ translator ability in a non-English language that is not listed above may at any time file a written request with the department to add that language to the list.
c. Interpreter/translator pay payments to employees entitled to receive them shall be made quarterly during the calendar year on such dates after August 6, 1989, as the police department shall prescribe.
d. Interpreter/translator pay shall only be granted when an employee is actually performing interpreter/translator duties and shall not be granted when an employee is directed to perform other duties.
e. Payments made under this section shall not be construed as being part of an employee's base pay and shall not be included in the computation of any fringe benefits of the employee.
f. Any payment made under this section shall not have any sum deducted for pension benefits nor shall such payments be included in the determination of pension benefits or other fringe benefits.
Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/Volume-3/CH350-sub7.pdf#page=3Fetched: 10/26/2026