UPCOMING

SEPTEMBER

 ZOOM PROGRAM MEETING

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SERGEANT DARIN TSUJIMOTO, ALAMEDA  PD

COMMUNICATING WITH A POLICE OFFICER

Officer Tsujimoto will discuss how officers are trained to communicate with deaf/HOH and how a person can be safe during a police contact.  He will review what tools can be used to assist in communication with law enforcement which may include handheld deaf/HOH cards, prewritten letters, or a prewritten text message on a cell phone.

Officer Tsujimoto Background

As a paramedic in South Central Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, Officer Tsujimoto cared for members of the deaf/HOH community.  Challenges with patient communication inspired him to learn to engage in communication through lip reading and paper/pen.  
In 1996, he was hired as a police officer with the City of Alameda.  Throughout his career, he had a number of assignments including a Field Training Officer, K9 handler, SWAT member and Narcotics/Special Investigations Unit.  After promotion to supervisor in 2011 he has worked in the patrol division, including overseeing the K9 unit.  He also served as a community resource officer for the Alameda Point Collaborative where he worked with a very special part of the community, many who were dealing with mental health and substance abuse.  Currently, he is also involved in a neighborhood watch group for the Marina/Windsor neighborhood addressing quality of life concerns for the residents regarding crime and challenges with our homeless community members. 
His personal experiences with the deaf/HOH community members as a police officer have been limited to minor traffic violations or crime reports and communication was made through lip reading and using cell phones to text