Delaware County sheriff’s deputies will participate in a program aimed at heading off conflicts with people on the autism spectrum.
At a news conference Friday, Jan. 17 at the Delaware County Public Safety Building in Delhi, Sheriff Craig DuMond — who is also the president of the New York State Sheriffs Association — announced his department’s participation in the Blue Envelope Project, a statewide initiative.
Under the program, drivers who are on the autism spectrum can keep their driver’s license, vehicle registration and insurance card in a special blue envelope, which police will recognize.
“We all know that people living with autism have certain needs special considerations that we should be making when law enforcement is engaging with them, particularly traffic stops,” DuMond said. “Traffic stops can be vary stressful situations with people with autism, and also for the officer conducting the traffic stop, for a variety of reasons.”
The alleviate those tensions, people with autism, or their family members, can request the envelopes from the sheriff’s department. They can be picked up at the sheriff’s office, mailed, or “We’ll hand-deliver them if we need to,” he said.
The envelopes have instructions for drivers on one side and for police on the other, to be observed during traffic stops.
The front instructs drivers to keep their hands on the wheel during until the officer comes to the door and warns them the officer may have a bright flashlight, a loud radio and flashing lights on the car — things that may be upsetting to an autistic person. It instructs drivers to tell the officer, “I have a blue envelope,” and to provide it when the officer says so. It explains that the officer will take the envelope back to the police car and that the driver should wait until the officer returns and says it is OK to leave.
The back says, in bold, capital type: “ATTENTION POLICE OFFICER: THIS DIVER IS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM.” It warns police that the driver may “display repetitive body movements or fidgeting and may have unusual eye contact.” It also warns that the driver may show signs of anxiety, especially due to bright lights and radio noise.
It encourages officers to be patient with the driver, who “may need extra time to formulate a response to questions or directives,” and instructs officers to use simple explanations, limiting “unnecessary details or jargon.” If a driver becomes upset, it encourages the officer to “please consider” contacting an emergency contact whose name and telephone number is written on the envelope.
DuMond said the program can be a useful tool for officers. “We put police officers in New York state through a six-month training academy and we expect them to have master’s degrees in social work when they’re done,” he said. “These things are sometimes very difficult to process.”
He said, upon being presented with the blue envelope, “Deputies will see that and know they may need to adjust their response.”
DuMond was joined at the press conference by county Board of Supervisors chair Tina Molé and Doug Elston, director of the county’s Community Services department, which coordinates and provides mental health services.
Molé said the program “sets the example of how law enforcement can and should be an advocate for all residents.”
Elston said New York has about 340,000 adults on the autism spectrum. He said autism, compounded by the stress of a traffic stop, “can be a recipe for misinterpretation and misunderstanding.” He thanked DuMond for supporting the program.