MANSFIELD — Can a five-by-seven inch blue envelope make a difference in the interactions of a law enforcement officer and a motorist with autism?
Mansfield police Chief Jason Bammann and other law enforcement agencies around Richland County believe so.
That’s why the MPD and other local agencies are participating in the Blue Envelope Project — an effort gaining steam around Ohio and the country to ease communication between individuals on the autism spectrum and law enforcement during traffic stops and other motor vehicle incidents.
The local program was announced Tuesday evening during a City Council meeting by Keith Porch, the city’s safety service director and the retired MPD chief.
“I think it’s an excellent program,” Porch told local lawmakers as he handed them examples of the Blue Envelopes that will be used.
“The chief will release more information when he is ready. But we we definitely wanted to highlight it to council before, that program went live.”
The plan, which will include the Richland County Sheriff’s Office and police departments in Ontario, Shelby, Lexington, Bellville and Butler, will be rolled out April 1, which is World Autism Month.
One-third of autistic teens without intellectual disability have license
A large study in 2017 by the National Autistic Society found a third of teens who have autism without intellectual disability earn a driver’s license. Nearly 90 percent of them do so within two years of getting their learner’s permit.
The core idea of the Blue Envelope is straightforward, yet impactful, according to those who helped design the program.
The Blue Envelope Program is an effort to ease communication between individuals on the autism spectrum and law enforcement during traffic stops and other motor vehicle incidents.
It involves a specially designed envelope that contains a driver’s essential documents—license, registration, and a contact card.
However, its significance goes beyond just a storage solution. The envelope features critical communication guidelines on its exterior, specifically tailored to assist law enforcement officers in recognizing and adapting their approach when interacting with an autistic driver.
(Above are examples of the Blue Envelopes that will be made available at the Mansfield Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Office and other police departments around Richland County, beginning April 1.)
The blue envelopes are covered with instructions for both the driver and the police officer making the stop.
Those include reminders to the officer about stimuli that may distract the driver, and cautions to the driver about sudden movements. They also include a checkbox to indicate if the driver is verbal or nonverbal.
Blue Envelope program can improve communication during stops
Such understanding can be crucial during such moments, according to Bammann.
“Doing a little bit of research in autism in general, some of the signs, or the things that an autistic person would display could to a police officer may be misconstrued to us as maybe danger cues,” the chief said after the council meeting.
“The purpose of this blue envelope is to start that talk between the law enforcement officer and the driver.”
Bammann said the “Blue Envelope” may come in handy if a local driver with autism is stopped by law enforcement outside Richland County.
“If a police officer (elsewhere) was to stop an individual and that individual tells them, ‘Hey, I have a Blue Envelope,’ that immediately starts that dialogue,” the chief said.
Bammann said City Council Clerk Delaine Weiner told him about the Blue Envelope program after seeing it on Facebook last fall.
“I don’t Facebook. I don’t social media,” the chief said with a laugh. “Delaine showed it to me and asked if it was something we wanted to do.
“I have a couple of staff members who have children with autism and a couple of friends that have children with autism. We looked at it and thought it looks like a pretty cool thing,” Bammann said.
“There are some law enforcement agencies around the country that are doing it, but it’s not like a formal national thing. I thought it was a great opportunity so I brought it up to the chiefs and the sheriff and they’re all on board,” he said.
Program enhances understanding, reduces anxiety
The Blue Envelope program addresses several key objectives, according to proponents, including:
- Enhancing Understanding: By providing officers with immediate, accessible information about autism, the Blue Envelope aims to promote empathy and patience, leading to more positive interactions.
- Reducing Anxiety: Traffic stops can be particularly stressful for individuals with autism. The Blue Envelope serves as a visual cue that helps officers adjust their communication style, thereby reducing anxiety for the driver.
- Streamlining Communication: The guidelines on the envelope offer practical tips for officers, making it easier for them to communicate effectively with individuals with autism, even in high-stress situations like traffic stops.
- Encouraging Preparedness: For individuals with autism and their families, the Blue Envelope is a tool that encourages preparedness. By keeping their important documents in the envelope and understanding how to present it during a stop, drivers can feel more confident and secure.
“Kicking it off in April during Autism Month seemed like the right thing to do,” the chief said. “We wanted to bring awareness to it and get the officers on the right page with these drivers. It just felt like a thing we needed to do.”
Bammann said law enforcement agencies will be contacting schools around the county about the program.
“We want to make it visible to the places where young drivers would be or would frequent,” the chief said.
“As soon as they hand them that Blue Envelope, it explains to the officers. So even with no training, not having a clue what a Blue Envelope is, we’re hoping that opens that conversation,” he said.
“All the officers in Mansfield and Richland County will know.”