Police Autism Database a Step in the Right Direction

The Windsor police have partnered with Autism Services Inc. to create an online registry that will help give quick access to detailed information about how to deal with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during emergencies. It is modeled after the registry that was created in Ottawa in 2010 and is to be updated annually in order to keep the information current.

People living with an ASD develop differently from others in the areas of motor, language, cognitive and social skills. Each person with an ASD is unique and will have different abilities but often there are problems communicating and ritualistic actions involved with an ASD. This means that police officers may encounter someone displaying erratic, repetitive behaviour that seemingly refuses to listen or communicate with them. This has caused huge problems in how these officers choose to handle the situation, especially if they do not recognize these as signs of autism. With the creation of the registry, residents that live within the Windsor policing jurisdiction can fill out forms that can be used to inform police how their child communicates, what their particular triggers are, and how best to approach them in order to get them to co-operate.

                                                                                                        

This is particularly important for use with the number of children with ASD that wander off and need police assistance but it is also important given situations that have been seen in the media lately. In August of this year, Toronto police became involved with a situation with a 9-year old boy with ASD in a daycare centre because he had become uncontrollable in a classroom. After ordering the boy to lie down on the ground, which he complied with, they handcuffed him until he calmed down. Many saw this as a highly inappropriate response. Given the fact that children with autism remember patterns so precisely, a damaging interaction with police like this can traumatize them and affect any interactions with police officers in the future. It is uncertain whether a registry would have helped in the situation. Likely, even more in depth training is required for police officers in dealing with people with ASD and other similar disorders.

In light of these events, should every police service be required to have an Autism Registry? Is this enough or should there be more detailed mandatory training involved?

Posted by Melissa Crowley (Windsor Law II)

RNC Police Chief apologizes for conduct of officers who mistook autism for intoxication

When Diane Spurrell’s autistic son, Dane, did not return home from the video store on April 18, 2009, she knew something was wrong. While walking home, Dane was approached by officers who instructed him to walk on the sidewalk. Dane has stated that there was no sidewalk in the area. Thus, when Dane failed to cooperate, he was taken into the local lock-up where he spent the night. Officers there refused to allow him to call his mother, prohibiting him from calling anyone but a lawyer.

To make matters worse, the second officer on the scene defended his actions on the CBC website. Responding to negative comments, the officer wrote “I challenge all you arm chair quarterbacks to spend a week in my job. I have 15 years on patrol, and can spot a person who needs help…”

Chief of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC), Joe Browne, met with Dane on April 23, 2009, to formally apologize for the behaviour of the officers.

Why did this happen? Chief Browne explains that the first officer on the scene was fairly young, and followed standard procedure, yet he concedes that the case could have been handled differently from the start. Unquestionably, an excuse regarding the inexperience of the officer is not enough. Police should be trained to adequately differentiate autism and other inherent conditions from intoxication and if there is any question as to whether the person is intoxicated a breathalyser should be administered. The RNC has made arrangements to start offering autism awareness training to officers. In fact, the RNC had already been proceeding with training on how to recognize and work with people with autism. Comparatively, in Detroit, police receive special training on how they should deal with handicapped, mentally ill, and homeless citizens. This training was adopted in 2003 as part of a program to increase sensitivity and accountability. For further discussion of the Detroit intiative, see Police taught proper response to mentally ill suspects.

Diane Spurell has been supportive of the RNC’s response since the incident and has dropped a criminal complaint against the officers. Hopefully, the new RNC training procedures will prevent similar incidents in the future.

Posted by Ashley Paterson (Law II) (LEAP Summer Intern)