According to some bloggers, cops are very nasty to deaf individuals. I take that with a grain of salt because we don't know the other side of the stories. One deaf guy could be on drugs and show attitude to a cop that comes to check on a call that someone is being hostile at a club, hence that deaf guy may say that the cop targeted him; never mind that he SHOWED an hostile and uncooperative attitude. That's one example. On the other hand, there may be a cooperative deaf driver but he was stopped for speeding; the cop may flash his flashlight into the guy's face, preventing him from lipreading. (Happened to one of my friends.) There are articles that there are deaf folks cooperating with cops and there have been no problems, as well as articles that deaf folks not cooperating or that cops didn't work with them (communicative-wise.) I like to play the devil's advocate (wearing someone else's shoes, not mine- as in an idiom.) Now, before anyone think that cops "target" deaf people- look up statistics that cops focus on African-american, hispanic, etc. African-Americans even developed a term for it: "BWD" (Black While driving.) A good article: "It's Not Just In New Jersey" by Tammerlin Drummond.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,26426,00.html?iid=chix-sphere
Now I see there is an article about a cop using excessive force on a white woman who sped to be with her dad who was in process of having a heart attack. Guess what? She is NOT deaf. So... it is not only Deaf, African-American, Hispanic, white men, etc... even white women can get mistreated.
http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/florida-deputy-suspended-over-rough/20070504085809990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001
I rest my case here.
2 comments:
Aw cripes! Did I ever say that it was targeted only deaf people? Please.
But the point is that not all cops are bad, but many cops protect each other the 90 percent of the time.
You can play devil's advocate all the time on different issues but sometimes it is not productive to present that when you need to get the message across to the police departments.
The whole point to what I m trying to say is that in order for police department to do better job of being sensitive to deaf people's needs, they need to START hiring deaf people in its department (Read this: Did I say that they must be cops to do that? No, can work in the office!) to get more exposures on deaf-related issues.
Training? Does not work. Workshops? Does not work.
And you playing the devil's advocate to criticize or doubt the deaf people's claims is not productive at all, in fact, you're detrimental to what many tried to get them to understand.
Capisce?
R-
Please don't put words in my mouth. Reread what I said, "....as well as articles that deaf folks not cooperating or that cops didn't work with them (communicative-wise.)" I understand that there are some cops that NEED to become familiar with deaf community. Now is that realistic for every single police station to hire a deaf person, I'm asking you. That'd be great, but not realistic. Especially in towns that don't even have deaf individuals to make even a block party. In major cities, it could work, I acknoweldge that it has great potential. But, hey..one need to talk the talk, walk the walk. At least, one agency here works with all police stations within 100 miles, teaching them deaf culture, how to work with deaf citizens and learn basic signs like "help" "hospital" "interpreter" "report" etc. We do notice that after trainings, the cops are MORE cooperative and MORE helpful. They call the agencies working with deaf MORE often. They give appropriate info to deaf victims MORE often. Hospitals are more likely to contact the agencies more often after trainings. Yes, granting, we may have to do it annually or so, but to me, that's worth the time.
You know what? I was asked to come to a training for 15-20 cops and EMTS last year (teaching basic signs) and I was there with crutches and a neck brace. The police director himself was THERE to learn sign language. He asked me about my injuries. I told him and the class my story about the hit-and-run and what a communicative nightmare I encountered after I woke up in an hospital as YOU know my story. The class was very horrified to the point that they were silent for a while before the director himself stood up and said, "I want to apologize to you what the hospital had done to you. I understand now why we need to develop better relationships with the deaf community."
On the other hand, I had been there when a deaf guy stood up and spoke about his abuse from cops and EMTs, them refusing to treat him for his medical problems, and being put in jail without any communication or even knowing WHY he was put in jail. He admitted that he was very drunk and that it may contribute to the situation. Nevertheless, that didn't GIVE the cops or EMTs the right to mistreat or refuse to treat him!
So again, please don't put words in my mouth on whether I am criticizing or doubting the deaf people's claims.
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