Greater Manchester Police launch plan to protect blind people from police impersonators

ITV News' Sam Taylor spoke to blind and visually impaired people to find out how the new plan aims to keep them safe.

A police force has introduced a new plan which aims to protect blind and visually impaired people from fraudsters who pose as officers.

While most people can rely on an officer's uniform or their collar number to confirm their identity, blind and visually impaired people are often unable to use these methods.

Instead, Greater Manchester Police's Visual Impairment Protocol (VIP) allows them to call the non-emergency line and confirm an officer has been sent to their address.

For Colin Adamson, who is severely sight impaired, a knock at the door can often be "a source of dread".

He said: "You know you're home and you're safe when you're in your property... But when someone knocks at your door it's like letting that barrier down and if you don't know who they are you need to be able to trust them."

Colin is just one of 16,000 people in Greater Manchester living with a visual impairment, which includes blindness and partial sight loss.

The VIP was first developed by the Royal National Institute of Blind People in 2020, and has already been adopted by Lancashire and Merseyside Police.

Terri Balon, RNIB Regional Campaigner for the North West, said: "Many blind and partially sighted people express concern about being able to identify people they don’t know, particularly those that might knock on their door claiming to be a police officer, or indeed another official."

The protocol can be used by any blind or visually impaired person when a supposed officer knocks on their door.

If an officer has turned up unannounced, such as during door-to-door enquiries, the non-emergency line can be called and an operator will confirm they are who they say they are.

For pre-arranged police visits, operators can also set up passwords the officer must provide before they're allowed to enter the home.

Sergeant Kerry Smith explained how the protocol works: "When somebody calls the police, they can let us know they have a visual impairment and our call handlers will set up a password security system with them.

"When the officer arrives, they knock on the door and say 'we're from the police, we've got your password' and that means the person on the other side knows it's a genuine officer and they can let them in."

It's hoped the new plan will make blind and visually impaired people feel safer, while also making it easier for more people to engage with the police.

Terri said: "I think it's about making it easier for people to engage, which not only helps blind and partially sighted people but also helps the officers carry out their job.

"Answering the door and not knowing who it is can be quite scary, particularly if it's someone claiming to be a police officer."

For Colin, the protocol means he has one less worry when he hears that knock at the door.

He said: "It definitely ensures the safety of visually impaired people. It makes everything safer and everyone happy."

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