American Sign Language (ASL) in LE

[Jacob2899]

I've learned a few basic phrases in ASL in high school, but never really considered actually studying it. In college, I've met a couple people who know ASL. This got me wondering; is ASL a useful skill to have in LE? Would knowing ASL help me stand out from other LEO applicants, and, more importantly, help me in the field?

[Michigan]

Sure , depends. So far, 100% of the deaf people I have come into contact with can read... So a pen and paper seem to be doing the trick for now.

[Zeitgeist]

This is an outstanding skill to have. Some of the larger agencies are REQUIRED to have ASL interpreters in order to maintain their CALEA certification. The area that I work in has a fairly large hearing impaired community.

[L-1]

I don’t see it making you stand out among other applicants.

Law enforcement agencies usually have a set criteria by which they score applicants and speaking a second language may get you an extra fraction of a point, but in the grand scheme of things it’s not going to jump you to the top of the hiring list.

We get applicants with all sorts of unique skills such as being multi-lingual, gunsmiths, locksmiths, EMTs, computer geniuses, ex special forces, martial arts instructors, etc. But having these skills doesn’t demonstrate whether you are proficient at knowing the law, investigating crime, interviewing and reading people, understanding and applying the rules of evidence, following complex instructions, diffusing volatile emotional situations, writing complex reports, etc.

There is a lot more to this job than most people imagine and having one or two specialty skills alone isn’t enough to get you hired.

[Jacob2899]

Thanks for the replies, all. I guess if I did learn ASL it would be more of a personal accomplishment rather than a career objective.