Victims & Witnesses
Text Messaging service for deaf people
West Midlands police have introduced a mobile phone text messaging service to help people who are hard of hearing to contact the police in an emergency.
As well as being able to communicate with the police, the new service will also provide an opportunity for people to send information to the police in text form.
The scheme was introduced as a result of a survey carried out by West Midlands Police in conjunction with the British Institute of the Deaf. The survey showed that 98% of hearing impaired people already use SMS text messaging, and 85% would like to use this service to be able to contact the police. A further 83% said they would be willing to register for the service.
It is unlikely that all the messages received would be for the police, and discussions have taken place with the Fire Service to explore the potential issues of this service. It is hoped that the scheme will be considered nationally, which, in the long term, will mean that people who are hard of hearing will find it much easier to get in touch with the police and potentially other agencies.
Last update: 27/08/03