DGO 5.23 Final Working Group Recommendation and Discussion Tracking Grid as of June 10, 2026
| # | WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS | MEETING DATE | SFPD RESPONSE | SFPD EXPLANATION | OPEN/CLOSED |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | Member recommended we change definition of "Deaf and Hard of Hearing" to be broader but more defined. | 8/26/25 | Recommendation has been completely included in draft DGO | New definition: A person with restrictions to their hearing that limits access to sound and spoken language. Communication preferences and abilities vary among individuals. | Closed |
| R2 | DPA submitted a recommendation that the scope of the DGO be expanded to encompass all disabilities. | 8/26/2025 | Recommendation will not be included in Draft DGO | Command Staff has reviewed the proposed change and does not concur. The scope of this Department General Order will remain limited to interactions with individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. This limitation is necessary because these contacts present unique risks of escalation if officers misinterpret a lack of response as non-compliance, when in fact the individual requires accommodations due to hearing impairment. The request has, however, generated interest in evaluating whether a separate written directive is needed to address interactions with individuals who have other specific disabilities where escalation risks are heightened. | Closed |
| R3 | Member recommended we review Fremont PD and Washington DC policy as they both have large schools for the deaf. | 8/26/2025 | Administrative Question and Answer-not for inclusion in DGO | Fremont advised that the California School for the Deaf falls under CHP’s jurisdiction. CHP does not have specific policies for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Gallaudet University is located in Washington, D.C. The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department has a policy from 2013 that is similar to the policy we are updating. | Closed |
| R4 | Member asked about current state laws or DMV regulation that would allow tagging license plates or DMV records with a notification about the user being deaf or hard of hearing. | 9/11/2025 | Recommendation will not be included in Draft DGO | There are no current California laws or DMV regulations that allow this. | Closed |
| R5 | Member asked if DEM can tag license plates with a "prem hazard" type warning so when Officers run the license plates, they would get additional information about the occupant being deaf or hard of hearing. | 9/11/2025 | Recommendation will not be included in Draft DGO | Members raised privacy concerns about tagging the vehicles as a person with a disability. Some members also opposed having an indicator that identified them as disabled. | Closed |
| R6 | Member asked if there are any ASL training videos through POST? | 9/11/2025 | Administrative Question and Answer-not for inclusion in DGO | POST does not offer videos relating to ASL or deafness. | Closed |
| R7 | DPA recommends the Deaf/Language Liaison should be an Officer and not a civilian. | 9/11/2025 | Recommendation has been completely included in draft DGO | Requirements will be similar to DGO 5.20. | Closed |
| R8 | DPA requests that information from the prior DGO live in another document. | 9/11/2025 | Administrative Question and Answer-not for inclusion in DGO | Much of the training already exist in Ca. POST learning domain 37. We will include a copy of the Leaning Domain to the group for reference. The training video, the quick-reference traffic card, the website update, and existing California POST Academy training materials will absorb the training and best-practices content from the DGO. | Closed |
| R9 | Member provided information regarding DeafSafe. | 9/11/2025 | Recommendation included in training, Department Manual, or other procedural or guidance document | This resource is being forwarded to the Domestic Violence working group for consideration and discussion. | Closed |
| R10 | Members made the following recommendations for the quick-reference traffic card: Larger images, simple wording, less white space, use DMV signage, Yes/No box | 10/9/2025 | Recommendation included in training, Department Manual, or other procedural or guidance document | Quick-reference traffic card is being updated. | Closed |
| R11 | Member brought up that some deaf people have highly specialized communication needs and are limited in who they can communicate with. | 10/9/2025 | Recommendation has been completely included in draft DGO | Added a section titled "Unique Communication Needs Exception" | Closed |
| R12 | I asked a question about how phones call can be made while in a police holding facility. | 10/9/2025 | Recommendation has been partially included in draft DGO | Of the available options, allowing individuals to place calls using their personal cell phones is both the most convenient for the individual and the simplest for the Department to implement. | Closed |
| R13 | I asked a question about allowing family or non-certified persons to translate under certain situations. | 10/9/2025 | Recommendation has been partially included in draft DGO | Similair to DGO 5.20 Language Access Services, family and non-certified interpretors can only be used in consensual and non-criminal interactions. | Closed |
| R14 | Member recommended the Non-certified interpreter section be moved later in the DGO for better flow. | 10/23/2025 | Recommendation has been completely included in draft DGO | Section moved | Closed |
| R15 | Member recommended adding strategy section for better communication with hard of hearing individuals. | 10/23/2025 | Recommendation included in training, Department Manual, or other procedural or guidance document | Material will be created covering best practices for communicating with hard of hearing and deaf individuals in addition to the material already provided by Post Learning Domain 37 in the academy. | Closed |
| R16 | Member discussion about changing the title of "Family Members and Accompanying Adults as Interpreters | 10/23/2025 | Recommendation has been completely included in draft DGO | Title has been changed | Closed |
| R17 | A member recommended rewording the handout by replacing "because" with why and moving why to the beginning of the sentence to better match sign-language syntax. | 11/6/2025 | Recommendation will not be included in Draft DGO | Using sign language syntax in written English would make the handout harder for officers to understand. The document has to work for both parties. | Closed |
| R18 | Member recommended adding an allowance for future technology. | 11/6/2025 | Recommendation has been completely included in draft DGO | New allowance added for "emerging technology". | Closed |
| R19 | Members discussed changing the definition of "Deaf or Hard of hearing individual" | 11/6/2025 | Recommendation has been completely included in draft DGO | “Temporary or permanent” was removed from the definition because the policy applies to all individuals across the hearing spectrum, regardless of the cause, degree, or permanency of the hearing loss. Now reads: "A person with restrictions to their hearing that limits access to sound and spoken language. Communication preferences and abilities vary among individuals." | Closed |
| R20 | Member recommended changing the verbiage under the Language Access Liaison section | 11/6/2025 | Recommendation has been completely included in draft DGO | Language updated | Closed |
| R21 | Group discussion about department training and recommendation that a training section be added. | 11/6/2025 | Recommendation has been completely included in draft DGO | Training section added | Closed |
| R22 | DPA recommended we change 5.23.04.a.2 from a "should" to a "shall". | 12/4/2025 | Recommendation will not be included in Draft DGO | 1. The current use of “should” meets the requirements of the California Evidence Code and aligns with the wording used throughout the policy. 2. From an operational standpoint, changing “should” to “shall” would block officers from communicating with a victim during an unplanned call or emergency encounter unless a qualified interpreter was immediately available. If Language Line had no interpreter available, which does occur, officers would be barred from asking any questions even when the victim is willing to use an alternative communication method. | Closed |
| R23 | The Working Group agreed that training material and best-practices guidance should be removed from the DGO and placed into dedicated training resources. | 12/4/2025 | Recommendation has been completely included in draft DGO | Training video, the quick-reference traffic card, the website update, and existing California POST Academy training materials will absorb the training and best-practices content from the DGO. | Closed |