Goldthorpe PCSO builds confidence in deaf community

PCSO Tom Berry delivered his first session to the charity ‘Deafinitions’ last Wednesday.

The session covered an understanding of reporting hate crime, protecting vulnerable people and how to contact the police in an emergency and non-emergency situation.

Deafinitions are a charity based in Goldthorpe, which supports the deaf community in relation to health, employment and youth development, as well as hosting regular community events where members from across South Yorkshire come together and socialise.

The charity contacted PCSO Berry earlier this year and he was later invited along to meet their members.

The community explained how they had a lack of faith in the police, would often leave crimes unreported and were unclear on how to make contact.

PCSO Berry explained how people who are unable to call 999 and speak down the phone can use a SMS text messaging service.

The emergency SMS service lets deaf, hard of hearing and speech-impaired people in the UK send an SMS text message to the UK 999 service, where it will be passed to the police, ambulance, fire service or coastguard.

Users need to register their mobile phone before using service. This can be done via the Next Generation Text Service via: https://www.ngts.org.uk

PCSO Berry will be holding regular crime prevention and reduction stalls within the charity's building on Commercial Road, Goldthorpe. He will be a regular friendly face and contact for members of the community.