By Associated Press - Monday, April 17, 2017

NEW YORK CITY (AP) - The New York Police Department is launching a pilot program aimed at fostering better communication with deaf and hearing impaired residents.

The New York Daily News (https://nydn.us/2okRprP ) reports that police from three precincts will carry tablets that can connect to a sign-language interpreter if one is unable to be called in person.

This comes after a 2015 case in which a deaf Staten Island woman was awarded a $750,000 settlement in a wrongful arrest suit.

The NYPD’s deputy commissioner of collaborative policing, Susan Herman, says the program was developed with the help of the Deaf Justice Coalition, a New York-based alliance of advocacy groups. The coalition says the pilot program is a good start in improving community relations.

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Information from: Daily News, https://www.nydailynews.com

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