OPD officers learn how to interact with deaf community [Video]

The Highland Council for the Deaf provided officers with code and cultural training, role-play scenarios and interactions with deaf and hard of hearing people.

ODESSA, Texas — Officers at the Odessa Police Department got some important training on Friday: how to interact with the deaf community.

This was thanks to the Highland Council for the Deaf, an agency that provides several services, including interpreting and advocacy. Those services are important for the deaf community, according to President Jeff Anderson, who is also deaf himself.

This includes training police officers on how to interact with them, because this community gets pulled over every once in a while as well.

Anderson and the council gave the officers several questions to think about going forward.

“[…] How to work with the deaf community? How to approach and interact with them? How to call for an interpreter if needed if working with a deaf …