Interpreting for the police is one of the least known fields of community interpreting. Recruitment criteria should be based on the candidate's specific training in interpreting. The article discusses the procedure for recruiting police interpreters with part time summer contracts in the provinces of Granada and Malaga, and examines the work they do. Interpreting for the police is not an easy task since the interpreter faces delicate situations in which the atmosphere may be strained. The article looks at the rights of foreigners in Spain, focussing mainly on the rights of the foreign detainee.