City Council Briefed On How Police Interact With Deaf, Hard Of Hearing
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Advocates for the deaf and hard of hearing appeared at Philadelphia City Council this past week to give their view on how the police department interacts with deaf people who are victims of crimes, or even suspects.
Leading the briefing for council members and staffers was Neil McDevitt, executive director of Deaf Hearing Communications Centre, based in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. He says the issue of how police interact with the deaf is by no means a new one.
"It's an issue that's been around since deaf people and police officers have been in existence," McDevitt says.
And while strides have been made across the country, McDevitt says more can be done.
"We have a long way to go in improving communication with each other," he says.
McDevitt gives the Philadelphia police department high marks for its interactions with deaf victims and suspects, including training specific to this issue. But he says police in other cities are doing more:
"For example, in Washington D.C. they have a specific (police) unit that has a specific focus on deaf and hard of hearing issues," McDevitt says. "(If) someone is arrested who is deaf or hard of hearing, or maybe they are the victim of a crime, that unit will be a part of the process of being able to get favorable outcomes."
McDevitt might have a receptive audience for this idea. Washington's Deaf and Hard of Hearing police unit was founded in 2002 by then-Police Chief Charles Ramsey, who now holds the post in Philadelphia.
McDevitt says ideally, victims of crimes must be able to request a sign language interpreter --rather than rely on gestures or written notes to tell their story.
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