The Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing (ACDHH) and the Town of Queen Creek Police Department have partnered to provide training and education to its new recruits and sworn Arizona law enforcement officers when interacting with deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind members in their communities.
The training partnership, which launched two weeks ago and established best practices for providing services to those who are deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind Queen Creek residents. With this training, the newly created department and soon to be active police officers will be better equipped to serve and protect this community.
The specialized, AZPOST certified instruction allowed officers to gain understanding and apply the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504, education on auxiliary aids/assistive devices, cultural factors of the communities, provide communication techniques, and Arizona interpreting laws and services.
“It provides our officers a perspective and understanding of how to serve the unique needs of our deaf and hard of hearing residents,” said Chief Randy Brice. “I felt it was important for my department to receive this education and awareness, as I want my officers and support staff to be able to serve everyone in our town.”
The training came about as Brice himself received the same training from ACDHH over three years ago. Impacted by the instruction, he was compelled to reach out to ACDHH again. Public Safety Training Lead Emmett Hassen, who also serves as the licensing and certification coordinator, said, “ACDHH strives to work collaboratively with both public and private entities on ensuring effective communication access to members of our communities. We are appreciative when we get the opportunity to present to public safety and law enforcement communities. Doing so helps reduce barriers and risks.”
The training is certified by the Arizona Peace Officers and Standards Training Board (AzPOST). The Town of Queen Creek intends to continue to train new members of the agency in the coming months.
About ACDHH
Established in 1977 to improve the quality of life for deaf and hard of hearing residents, ACDHH serves as the statewide bureau of information referral center for issues related to people with hearing loss and aspires to be a national leader in communication access, support services and community empowerment throughout the state. The purpose of the agency and its commissioners is to ensure, in partnership with the public and private sector, accessibility for the deaf and hard of hearing to improve their quality of life.
The Town of Queen Creek, located in the southeast portion of the Phoenix metropolitan area in both Maricopa and Pinal counties, was incorporated on Sept. 5, 1989. As a rapidly growing community of 68,500 residents, the Queen Creek Police Department was approved in March 2018 and will begin patrols on Jan. 11, 2022.
