Great Barrington Police Connecting with Deaf Community
The Great Barrington Police Department has partnered with Karran Larson, LADC1, LMHC, Coordinator of Statewide SUD and Recovery Services and Deaf Recovery Coach Supervisor.
According to a press release, in an effort to collaborate with the deaf and hard of hearing community, Chief Storti has added this partnership to the department's co-responder program. Karran Larson will be utilized as a recovery coach for this community. Karran will also train the officers on how to best interact with the deaf and hard of hearing community in an emergency and in other aspect of police duties. Chief Storti says, “With this partnership, we hope to be able to connect her services to other departments across the county and beyond.”
If you are deaf or hard of hearing, please visit the GBPD website for a visor card. Utilizing this resource will make it easier to communicate with officers in the event they are seeking help or are stopped while driving.
The department is continuing to expand their outreach efforts and encourage any group that would like to begin a conversation to please reach out.
Great Barrington Police Department's Mission
The Police Department enhances the quality of life in the Town of Great Barrington by complying with best practices in law enforcement, including accountability of its employees, and by developing partnerships with the community and the other entities of government in a manner that promotes preservation of life and property, maintains peaceful public order, controls and expedites traffic, provides a safe environment, works with youth and tourists, assures timely response to victims of crime, fosters close cooperation with neighboring law enforcement agencies and assures the enforcement of law with respect for human dignity.
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