Fresh insight into how policing services can be improved for deaf and hard of hearing community

Neighbourhood police officers joined residents at a community forum event aimed at giving people who are deaf or hard of hearing a greater influence in local policing.   

The scrutiny meeting, held at Force HQ in Huntingdon earlier this week, was the first of its kind in the county and saw around 20 residents attend to contribute their views on how Cambridgeshire Constabulary can make its services more accessible to those who are deaf, hard of hearing or suffering hearing loss.  

The meeting, attended by members of the Huntingdonshire neighbourhood team, was held in partnership with Cambridgeshire Deaf Association (CDA) and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and was supported by British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters, Police Link Officers for Deaf People (PLODs), live captions and a hearing loop. 

Attendees were given a presentation on the Pegasus scheme – a police initiative designed to help individuals with communication difficulties to access emergency services easier.  

The scheme allows people to register their personal details which are then recorded on police systems so that anytime they call the control room, the operator will be able to instantly see a Pegasus marker attached to their name or number.  

The force also highlighted an initiative which involves the distribution of ‘I am deaf’ cards by the CDA that display a QR code on the back linking to a video service offering remote interpretation via a video call to allow deaf people to express themselves. 

During the meeting, residents engaged in discussions around the barriers BSL users face when English is a second language and BSL is the first. 

As part of the Building Confidence and Trust pillar of his Police and Crime Plan, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Police and Crime Commissioner Darryl Preston continues to support a culture within the Constabulary that is inclusive and diverse and reflective of the communities it serves.  

He has also vowed to create further opportunities to listen to the voices of all victims and witnesses of crime to enable people to help him shape the delivery of local services under his Supporting Victims and Witnesses priority. 

Darryl said: “The event was a huge success, and I want to thank the residents and their families who turned out to contribute their ideas and insights which were warmly received. “This was the first scrutiny event of its kind in the county and was important in helping us understand what we’re doing well and what we can do better to provide the best possible support to people who are deaf or have hearing loss. It’s important to me that all residents have an opportunity to use their voice and scrutinise the services that protect and support them. We will be reviewing the discussions in detail to identify the barriers facing members of the deaf and hard of hearing community in their interactions with the police and our services to bring forward change.”  

Caitlin Bones, Inclusion and Legitimacy Co-ordinator, said: "It was great to see so many people from the community who provided us with lots of valuable feedback to help improve our service. I have never attended an event with this level of engagement, and we will continue to work together and provide the best service possible for the people of Cambridgeshire". 

Jodie from Cambridgeshire Deaf Association, said: “I think it was a really good discussion with the police, there were lots of relevant questions from both sides, like how to improve their service for the Deaf Community and bring us level with hearing people, it was brilliant”. 

If you are a local community group wanting to learn more about police road shows or how to get involved in our community scrutiny panels, please email [email protected].