‘You have the right to remain silent’: Current provisions for D/deaf people within regional police forces in England and Wales

Action on Hearing Loss explain that 11 million people within the UK are affected by hearing loss and this is expected to rise to 15.6 million by 2035 (Action on Hearing Loss, 2016). In 2011, a Strategic Command Course publication for Sign Health stated that services for D/deaf people within the criminal justice system needed improving and advised increasing the number of regional Police Link Officer for the Deaf (PLOD) schemes within police forces (Walton et al., 2011). This paper describes a study that used a questionnaire survey to investigate levels of D/deaf awareness amongst Police Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and police officers and their attitudes towards D/deafness, as well as their specific awareness relating to PLOD schemes. The D/deaf community were also surveyed to assess their communication preferences when liaising with the police and their previous experiences of police contact. Eighteen PCCs, 75 police officers and 15 members of the D/deaf community were included in the analysis. Results found a lack of awareness amongst all participants regarding PLOD schemes, differences between communication methods being used and those that are preferred, with only 11% of respondents from the D/deaf community reporting their experience with the police as ‘good’. The study also found a significant correlation between police officer participation in a D/deaf awareness courses and improved attitudes towards D/deafness. It is evident that policies exist to enhance the quality and accessibility of services for D/deaf people, but what remains to be explored is the availability and awareness of existing provisions