After dealing with a case of harassment against two deaf people, Jim became interested in the deaf community and decided to learn BSL. Jim applied to be one of Hampshire Constabulary’s Police Link Officers for Deaf people (PLOD) in 2010 and completed his level one at Sonus in Southampton. The role of a PLOD is to ensure that deaf people have equal access to justice and the police service in general, and to act as a point of contact in the deaf community.
Jim said: “To become a PLOD it was essential to learn BSL. I passed level one in 2011 and decided to take the level two straight away so I didn’t forget what I had already learnt. The level two certificate helps develop vocabulary and focuses on the structure of your BSL, which is different to that of the English language.”
When Jim decided to take on the level two, he sent an email to all his contacts asking for sponsorship so that he was able to pay for the course. Richard Hawkes, Estate Manager at Chineham Park and Jim’s point of contact on the Park, suggested that Chineham Park could jointly fund Jims’ level two course, in partnership with Hampshire Constabulary.
Richard said: “Here at Chineham Park, we are always doing what we can to engage with the local community and help out where we can. When I saw Jim's email, I thought it would be a nice gesture to help with the course funds for him. We are always grateful for the work the Basingstoke and Hampshire police do in making a safer community.”
Since completing the BSL level two course, Jim has had to use his new skills a number of times, from dealing with parking disputes to taking crime reports.
No comments:
Post a Comment