MARION COUNTY — Law enforcement officers in Marion County will soon have better means of communicating with people who are nonverbal or speech-challenged.
That's because the Autism Society of Indiana has donated "emergency communications" boards to the Marion County Sheriff's Office that are specifically designed to help police communicate with those individuals.
The nonprofit gave a grand total of 250 of those boards to the agency, which says it plans to display them in all department vehicles and in other places.
“We recognize the need for this type of assistance in order to bridge the gap between first responders and citizens of Marion County who struggle with communication,” Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal said in a written statement. “I would like to personally thank the Autism Society of Indiana for their donation and look forward to using this resource as yet another tool for our Deputies to employ when protecting the community.”
The boards will help police communicate with people who are nonverbal, have limited English skills, have autism or other disabilities or have mental health issues, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Sergeant Brian Hogue has two teenagers on the autism spectrum and says these boards provide peace of mind.
"A lot of people on the spectrum look just like you and me, but they will take anywhere between ten seconds to almost a full minute to respond to a question, so some people not knowing that might say he's trying to avoid my question," Hogue said. "It gives officers the chance to identify sooner [and] know how they need to go forward in a situation."
The department is also training police with a video showing how to use the boards.
The Autism Society of Indiana has also offered to give boards to every law enforcement and first responder agency across the state, according to the Sheriff's Office.
-
Fever stars Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark lead WNBA All-Star fan voting
Fever star center Aliyah Boston and star guard Caitlin Clark are first and second, respectively, in WNBA All-Star fan voting.
Storms and heavy rain to finish the week, scorching heat and humidity
Rain chances return to the forecast in the coming days. Flooding is something to monitor south of I-70.
New chairman vows to 'heavily scrutinize any requests' from Indiana utilities
The newly appointed chairman at the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission vowed to “heavily scrutinize any requests” from utilities to increase their rates.
Former band teacher in Monticello pleads guilty to sexual misconduct with minor
A 32-year-old former band teacher at Roosevelt Middle School and Twin Lakes High School has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison for sexual misconduct with a minor, attorneys say.
