Helping tourists - English for police

Example Sentences

 Questions tourists ask police

• I'm lost. Can you help me find the Pacific Hotel?
• I'm looking for the American Consulate / Embassy.
• My luggage / suitcase was stolen. What should I do?
• Who can we trust to exchange our money?
• Where is the bad part of town?
• Please help us. Our child is missing.

Questions police ask tourists

• Which hotel are you staying at?
• When did you lose your wallet?
• How much money was in your purse?
• What did the thief look like?
• What was the man wearing?
• Did he have a weapon?
• Where/When did you last see your child?
• How old is your child?
• What was your child wearing?

Comforting a tourist in distress

• Please stay calm. I am going to help you.
• We will do everything we can.
• I'll give you a map of the city.
• Try not to panic.
• I can give you a ride to the hospital.
• The ambulance is on its way.
• Don't worry, everything is going to be okay.

Sample Conversation

A Spanish police officer helps a British woman to find her missing child...

Woman: Help! Police!

Police: What's wrong?

Woman: My daughter is missing. I can't find her anywhere!

Police: Okay. Calm down. I'm going to help you find her. What's her name?

Woman: Erica. She's only five. She doesn't know how to speak Spanish!

Police: Okay. What does Erica look like?

Woman: She has brown curly hair. She's skinny and small for her age.

Police: Okay. What is she wearing today?

Woman: Blue shorts and a pink T-shirt. She has a hat on too, I think.

Police: How long ago did she go missing?

Woman: I've been looking for her for almost an hour now.

Police: And where did you last see her?

Woman: We were just shopping in the vegetable section. I turned around and she was gone.

Police: Don't worry, everything is going to be okay.

Woman: What should I do?

Police: Stay right at the front of the store in case she comes looking for you. We'll start looking for her now.