(WSVN) - Anyone can feel nervous if questioned by a police officer, but it can be even more frightening for a person with special needs. Any kind of misunderstanding could turn into a confrontation. 7’s Vanessa Medina shows us how one South Florida police department is decreasing the danger in these situations.
Police officers assigned to South Florida schools deal with special needs kids every day, and Officer Hannah Rincon says kids with autism present a unique challenge.
Officer Hannah Rincon: “I wasn’t really prepared as an officer to deal with the different types of behaviors that they had.”
After getting to know the students, she realized her fellow officers in Coral Springs might not be prepared either.
Officer Hannah Rincon: “Some families had expressed concerns that maybe law enforcement didn’t understand really how to properly deal with their family members.”
A real concern after what happened last year.
A North Miami police officer facing criminal charges for this confrontation with an autistic man and his therapist.
The therapist laying on the ground while the man sat in the street holding a toy truck. The officer fired, hitting the therapist in the leg. The autistic man posing no threat.
Officer Hannah Rincon: “They might have poor eye contact or not respond to their name.”
Officer Hannah Rincon has created a special program to educate officers about people with special needs.
Officer Hannah Rincon: “Are they sensitive to lights and sirens?”
Officer Hannah Rincon conducts the training, but she also has set up a city database of people with special needs, including pictures and information officers can access from their cars.
Officer Jessica Sanford, Coral Springs Police officer: “If we don’t know that they’re special needs, then, you know, we could just think that they’re being a difficult adult who doesn’t want to speak to a police officer.”
That was a big concern for Deborah Guzman. Her autistic son Murphy has wandered away from home before and can become aggressive if he’s approached the wrong way.
Deborah Guzman, son has autism: “He may hit, he may scream, and it’s frightening to people in the community if they see that.”
For other kids like Kristin Streit’s 6-year-old son Nolan, the database would speak for her son, who is non-verbal.
Kristin Streit, son has autism: “The database gives me that peace of mind that he were to ever go anywhere, or get lost or anything, that they would know exactly who he was.”
More than 400 children, teens and adults are registered so far. Coral Springs hopes other cities will follow their example, decreasing the danger to special needs people in South Florida.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Register special needs person in Coral Springs:
Coral Springs Community Involvement Unit
954-346-1311
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