Police lack resources needed to support neurodiversity. Unfortunately, in many areas we are still catching up to meet the diverse needs of this population. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes challenges with communication, social skills, and sensory stimulation. Managing moments of distress in these individuals can be alarming and lead to accidental harm. If police departments do not have the resources to meet the needs of ASD individuals, they may need additional supplies to support their training.
The Legislature passed bill HB334, in the spring of 2021, requiring peace officers to receive training on ASD (HB334 Special Needs Training for Law Enforcement Amendments, 2021). Utah has added a three-hour training course for new cadets and implemented project safeguard giving police quick access to information about individuals with disabilities. Even with these improvements we still see blame when it comes to police involvement and ASD. This puts into question whether we are providing the necessary resources to fully see the successful implementation of these training courses.
Providing mandatory sensory kits for police officers can be a valuable solution to this issue.
Sensory kits provide noise canceling headphones, stress balls, communication aids, and weighted lap pads. Sensory kits are effective in helping ASD individuals calm down and promote a willingness to participate. A local nonprofit, The Autism Council of Utah which supports autism awareness, raised donations to fund over 2000 sensory bags for law enforcement. These resources were greatly appreciated and hopefully utilized. I suggest that we make the use of sensory kits mandatory for police departments. This will support our officers in their training and eliminate the risk of harm for all members of our community.
Rachel Lamplugh, Orem