Support for victims with a visual impairment
How to check the person arriving at your door is a genuine police officer.
A visual impairment is a reduction in vision that cannot be fully corrected with standard glasses, contact lenses, medication or surgery. Some examples include blindness, low vision and hemianopia.
If you live with any form of visual impairment, partially sighted or blind and need to request police attendance, request our Visual Impairment Protocol.
This will help you stay safe and give you confidence that the person arriving at your door is a genuine police officer. Follow the guidance below to request support, depending on your scenario.
Note, that in an emergency where an immediate response is required this process will not be followed. In this instance, a call handler will remain on the phone until the police arrive.
Reporting the incident through 101 or 999
If you report the incident to Avon and Somerset Police by dialling 101 (non-emergency) or 999 (emergency) and are requesting a police officer to attend, follow the steps below.
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Step 1 :
Tell the call handler you have a visual impairment, or consider yourself vulnerable. You will be asked if you would like to use the Visual Impairment Protocol.
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Step 2 :
If you say yes, you will be asked to choose a memorable one-time password.
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Step 3 :
The call handler will give the password to the officer visiting your address.
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Step 4 :
When the officer arrives, ask them for the password before letting them in.
If they give the wrong password, or no password at all, do not let them in and call 101 to explain you cannot verify the identity of the person at your door.
If an officer arrives unexpectedly
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Step 1 :
Tell the officer you would like to confirm their identity.
Without letting them in, ask for their:
- collar number
- the reason for their visit or a log number, if one is available
Record these details in a way that works best for you.
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Step 2 :
Call 101 and ask to use the Visual Impairment Protocol.
Give the call handler the information the officer provided.
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Step 3 :
If the details are confirmed by the call handler, you can let the officer in.
If the call handler cannot confirm the details the officer has provided, politely decline their request to enter your address.