Empowering Families: Tooele Police Department’s Autism Initiative

The Tooele City Police Department is taking proactive steps to support families affected by Autism and other developmental disabilities and mental health diagnoses. In an effort to improve safety and ensure better communication during potentially challenging situations, the department has partnered with Bee Kids Utah, a dedicated Mental Health and Wellness Center in Tooele. Together, they organized an Autism Fair last weekend, which served as a platform for sharing crucial resources and initiatives designed to enhance the safety and well-being of those with autism.

During this fair, the department proudly introduced their newly created safety roster. “The goal is to try and have people input this information on their loved ones so that when we respond, we can respond appropriately and with empathy,” said Cpl. Colbey Bentley from the Tooele City Police Department. This initiative is vital for ensuring that officers have access to important information about individuals with autism when they respond to calls for help.

Cpl. Bentley elaborated on the inspiration behind the safety roster, explaining that the idea emerged from a training session conducted last December with the Utah Attorney General’s Office and the Autism Council. During this training, law enforcement officials engaged in live scenarios to practice their responses to various situations involving individuals with autism. This hands-on experience highlighted the necessity of understanding the specific needs and behaviors of those with developmental disabilities.

The safety roster aims to streamline the information gathering process. “It’s going to ask your specific relationship to the person with the disability,” Cpl. Bentley pointed out. This ensures that responders know how to approach the individual based on their relationship with the person in need of assistance. The roster also requests identifying features and allows families to upload a current picture, enabling officers to quickly recognize the person they are trying to assist. “We can blast that out to the police department and say this is who we are looking for,” Cpl. Bentley added, emphasizing the utility of the system in urgent situations.

The form used for the safety roster is comprehensive, allowing participants to list primary and co-existing diagnoses. This information is crucial in helping first responders understand the unique needs of the individual. “A big thing that people can input into this system is different triggers and different things that we can do to help deescalate the situation upon arriving,” Cpl. Bentley explained. By providing this information, families can significantly enhance the likelihood of a positive outcome during police interactions.

Cpl. Bentley assured families that all information shared through the safety roster remains confidential. “It doesn’t go anywhere else, it doesn’t get shared with other agencies,” he stated. This confidentiality is essential for building trust with families who may be concerned about the privacy of their loved ones’ information. The safety roster represents a significant improvement in how the Tooele Police can respond to incidents involving individuals with autism and developmental disabilities.

The insights and expertise of Bee Kids Utah have been invaluable in developing the safety roster. “Just helped build in some of the terminology and then additional resources that we thought would help add,” said Brenna Wagner, Co-Owner/COO of Bee Kids Utah. Her colleague, Co-Owner/CEO Lara Shields, echoed these sentiments, stating, “It’s allowing Tooele Police Department to be able to enter those situations with all of the information that they need to know, to be able to best help that individual.”

Families like that of Amandamae Peterson, who has a six-year-old son with limited verbal autism, highlight the importance of this initiative. “Up until about three years ago my son didn’t understand you can’t run out into the streets, you can’t just walk up to somebody. You get out of the car, he would dart across the parking lot,” Peterson recalled. Such challenges can pose significant dangers, especially in emergencies. “Having somebody they don’t know, try to help them, you’ll have complete breakdowns, hitting screaming, fighting, trying to run fight, flight freeze,” she explained.

For Peterson, the safety roster is an essential tool. “I think it’s a brilliant idea, especially when, if I’m not able to communicate, they’re able to see what’s helpful, what isn’t helpful,” she said, highlighting the potential for the safety roster to bridge communication gaps during critical moments. The Tooele Police have already seen about 30 individuals sign up for the program, with Cpl. Bentley encouraging families to renew their registration annually to keep the information current and relevant.