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News Release
Russian_DMV_Manual_2.jpg
Russian_DMV_Manual_2.jpg
PPB and Partners Publish DMV Manual for Russian-Speaking Community (Photo) - 02/15/18

***Members of the media are invited to a special ceremony commemorating this accomplishment. The ceremony will be on Thursday, February 15, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. on the 14th floor of the Justice Center.

Over the past couple of years, Lt. David Abrahamson of the Portland Police Bureau's Traffic Division began recognizing a significant increase in driver-related crashes involving Russian immigrants. The Police Bureau identified Oregon subsidy for driver education was available for teens under the age of 18 and taught in English. Additionally, the Department of Motor Vehicle Driver Manual was also in English, with no traffic safety resources available in Russian or Ukrainian languages. Following fatal crashes and questions from one of the largest Russian communities in the nation, Lt. Abrahamson applied for and obtained a grant through the City of Portland to translate the DMV Driver Manual into Russian.

The vision of the project was brought before Officer Natasha Haunsberger and Irene Konev of the Portland Police Bureau's Slavic Council Advisory Board, who advocated for the project. Members of the Slavic Council introduced interns from Portland State University's Russian Flagship Program, who assisted with the first draft. Nearly 300 personnel hours were invested by interns Colton Hennick, Ashley Moe and David Shiryayev. The final editing was conducted by Portland State University professor, Doctor Anna Alsufieva. Doctor Alsufieva, who is an expert in the field, spent nearly 600 hours of her personal time after classes making technical corrections. Portland Police Bureau members Mark Rose and Chelsea Rutherford spent weeks reformatting the manual and preparing it for printing. Slavic Council members proofed the manual and added finishing adjustments.

Because of the tenacity and dedication of these community members and Bureau members working collaboratively on this cause, the Oregon Driver Manual and traffic diversion courses are now available to the 100,000 Russian-speaking residents in the Portland Metropolitan area.

For more about the Bureau's Slavic Advisory Council, visit: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/62549

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