As part of Deaf Awareness Week (4-11 May), North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Andy Dunbobbin has introduced a British Sign Language (BSL) version of his Police and Crime Plan.

The BSL Police and Crime Plan will ensure information about fighting crime is as accessible as possible to all members of the community and, in line with the theme of Deaf Awareness Week, will help break down barriers in communication and widen information sharing among communities in North Wales, whether hearing or non-hearing.

With this new version of the Police and Crime Plan, residents of North Wales who are deaf or hard of hearing, and who use BSL can now learn more about the priorities for policing in the region in their preferred medium, something that had hitherto not been the case.

The Office of the PCC was first made aware of the gaps in its provision for users of BSL by Paula Williams from Flint, a Level 4 BSL student at Coleg Llandrillo in Rhos-on-Sea and a long-time friend of the deaf community.

When approached by Paula, the Office of the PCC, led by its Scrutiny and Assurance team, recognised the importance of translating the region’s Police and Crime Plan into BSL, and worked with Worcestershire-based company Sign Solutions to interpret the Plan into BSL and produce an English and Welsh language subtitled version of the text, ensuring that all communities across North Wales can access the plan.

North Wales Police have an existing system in place for BSL users to access police assistance 24/7 in an emergency. The BSL 999 app will immediately connect a deaf or hard of hearing individual to a specialised trained member of staff who can relay their information to the Police Operator when 999 has been dialled on their phone.