For the first time in its history, the NYPD has an officer whose first language is American Sign Language — something that members of the deaf community are thrilled about, giving them somone who understands their lives and their struggles.
Here in south Florida, we frequently work with police departments and officers such as the Miami-Dade Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol, South Miami Police Department, Palm Beach Police Department and more. We would love to see more officers like this because we believe that having communication directly on the front lines is critical to the safety of everyone involved in every situation.
NBC New York’s Marc Santia reports here: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/first-nypd-officer-with-sign-language-as-first-language/2261110/