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New police policy passes | delmarvanow.com | The Daily Times
Resort police have a new policy that outlines how to respond to those with mental or physical disabilities.
The Town Council approved a police policy that reviews how to handle people with mobility impairments, mental illness or retardation, seizure disorders, speech problems, as well as the blind or deaf. The general orders were installed to comply with Title II, the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Lt. Greg Guiton explained to the council during its Tuesday work session that the policy explains how to deal with each disability, and gives officers guidance on how to react to individuals with disabilities and their need for police service. Officers also have been taught about this issue in the last year through training videos, he said.
The policy details how police can violate the ADA when arrests are made after police wrongly interpret a person's disability as criminal activity.
Officers could think a person's slurred speech or erratic movement means they're intoxicated when they are actually suffering the effects of a seizure; or a person who seems uncooperative with police instructions may have vision or hearing impairments.
Guiton said police often encounter citizens with hearing impairments. For example, one couple involved in a Coastal Highway fender-bender last summer -- a traffic collision that also involved the mayor and city manager -- was deaf, and an officer at the scene communicated with them using sign language.
The policy also offers guidelines on how to treat those with certain disabilities, such as speaking directly to an individual while avoiding a patronizing tone.
Also at the meeting, the council reviewed legislative requests that will be sent to the Maryland Municipal League, a group that lobbies legislators on behalf of cities and towns. Ocean City plans to lobby for laws on mandatory helmet use for scooters, and making second-degree assault a misdemeanor.
Resort police have a new policy that outlines how to respond to those with mental or physical disabilities.
The Town Council approved a police policy that reviews how to handle people with mobility impairments, mental illness or retardation, seizure disorders, speech problems, as well as the blind or deaf. The general orders were installed to comply with Title II, the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Lt. Greg Guiton explained to the council during its Tuesday work session that the policy explains how to deal with each disability, and gives officers guidance on how to react to individuals with disabilities and their need for police service. Officers also have been taught about this issue in the last year through training videos, he said.
The policy details how police can violate the ADA when arrests are made after police wrongly interpret a person's disability as criminal activity.
Officers could think a person's slurred speech or erratic movement means they're intoxicated when they are actually suffering the effects of a seizure; or a person who seems uncooperative with police instructions may have vision or hearing impairments.
Guiton said police often encounter citizens with hearing impairments. For example, one couple involved in a Coastal Highway fender-bender last summer -- a traffic collision that also involved the mayor and city manager -- was deaf, and an officer at the scene communicated with them using sign language.
The policy also offers guidelines on how to treat those with certain disabilities, such as speaking directly to an individual while avoiding a patronizing tone.
Also at the meeting, the council reviewed legislative requests that will be sent to the Maryland Municipal League, a group that lobbies legislators on behalf of cities and towns. Ocean City plans to lobby for laws on mandatory helmet use for scooters, and making second-degree assault a misdemeanor.