Credit to: Coastal Point, Susan Canfora
The Ocean View Police Department is participating in Delaware’s Blue Envelope Program, designed to share critical information with officers who stop vehicles with disabled drivers or passengers.
“The day we got the envelopes here at the police station, we had people coming up to the counter and asking for them, which I think is pretty cool. It’s another tool we can use to help determine how police react,” Police Chief Kenneth McLaughlin said, adding that the light blue envelopes are available there, as well as at Delaware State Police barracks and other participating agencies. The DSP and Delaware Health & Social Services are also publicizing the program on their websites.
“The first lady who picked up an envelope here said, ‘My son is autistic, and he freaks out from lights and sirens. They are really disturbing to him,” McLaughlin said.
“We are aware of that,” he noted of such concerns. “We are heavily involved with Special Olympics here at the police department, and we have a lot of autistic kids. They wear headphones if they can’t handle any kind of loud noise, and they don’t like flashing lights. It stimulates them in a negative way.
“So, officers can say, ‘It’s nighttime. These light are bright. The ones on the back of the police car will flash, but I can turn the front ones off because there is a person in there that might be impacted,’” he said. “If somebody is deaf, they can just hold the Blue Envelope out the window.
“Because of the Blue Envelope, police might have to do something different at a traffic stop,” McLaughlin explained. “The last thing we want to do is scare an autistic kid or get into a screaming match with a driver who is deaf because they couldn’t hear us. It’s a proactive measure that we are taking. Somebody somewhere along the line had good idea,” he said.
Drivers are asked to place their driver’s license, proof of insurance, vehicle registration and emergency care plan details in the Blue Envelope, or to keep their driver’s license in a wallet but place it in the envelope with the other documents if an officer stops the car.
Printed on the outside are tips for interacting with police, including keeping hands on the steering wheel if stopped, listening to the officer and telling the officer there is a Blue Envelope in the car, but not reaching for anything without the officer’s permission or driving away before the officer is finished.
Also printed are circles to be checked, indicating the type of disability, effects of the disability and if the driver or passenger uses an interpreter, needs a mobility aid or communication device, or has seizures.
The free initiative “aims to promote safe, clear and respectful communication between law enforcement and drivers with autism and other disabilities. It is designed for people with autism, a communication difference, sensory difference, mobility limitation or other disability or medical condition. … The Blue Envelope quickly communicates important disability-related information and considerations to police officer,” the Ocean View Police websites states.
The DSP website at www.dsp.delaware.gov praises the initiative for promoting “safe, clear and respectful communication by helping law enforcement understand that a driver may have a communication difference, a sensory need, mobility limitations or other difference related to their disability. … It signals to officers that the driver may use or need additional supports, such as a communication device, extra processing time, clear instructions or reduced sensory input. It ensures fair application of the law and is not designed to allow an individual to escape justice,” it states.