The Brookfield Police Department has instituted a new program using blue envelopes to assist people who are autistic or who otherwise struggle with communication or sensory input during interactions with police.
The envelopes, which are free to pick up at the police station, are designed to contain a driver’s license and the registration and insurance card for their vehicle.
The front offers spaces to check off how a person can communicate verbally or non-verbally and whether they are autistic or have other communication challenges as well as a spot to name a support person and their contact information.
The back of the envelope provides guidance to drivers about how to act during a traffic stop and to officers about how to show the driver grace due to communication or sensory struggles.
Deputy Police Chief Jim Mihalik drove the initiation of the program in Brookfield after a resident reached out about other municipalities like Elgin, Naperville and Downers Grove offering similar programs, he said.
“Not being familiar with it, I had reached out to those organizations, and they utilize it solely for someone with autism. In my research, I had reached out to Downers Grove, and, in speaking with their social worker, [learned] they used it a little bit more broadly,” he said.
The wider target, also applying to people with communication or sensory struggles, spoke to him, he said.
“At least for the community in Brookfield, I thought it would be a better adoption, if you can reach a larger demographic,” he said. “Often times, [police officers] don’t know what we’re up against, and some people’s actions can give an appearance of intoxication, whether it be alcohol or drugs. We really want every police encounter to be a good one, and this is a tool that can at least provide us with information so we get it right.”
Mihalik said the envelopes don’t just apply to traffic stops.
“We do have incidents within the community with somebody leaving the home — and us out there trying to find them — with different communication issues,” he said. “Even outside of contact with police during a traffic stop, we’re encouraging the public, if they want, to utilize it within their home. If a family member or someone calls, they can provide that to us if we come to their house.”
He said he hopes the program furthers the strong relationship between Brookfield police and residents.
“You see a lot of negative interactions with police, and we have a great department. We have great officers who are intuitive and recognize situations very well,” he said. “We have a positive relationship with the community and its members, but all it takes is one bad incident to lose that trust with the community, so [we’re] getting ahead of something like that.”
This isn’t the first step Brookfield police have taken to accommodate residents with disabilities, Mihalik added.
“We have cue cards in the squad cars for the hearing impaired. We have autism tools for communication, dry erase boards for talking if they’re non-verbal,” he said.
Ultimately, Mihalik said he hopes the program assists drivers in interactions with police that can be stressful or alarming.
“We recognize that there are people out in the public that can have a difficult time communicating. Let’sface it: Whether you have communication or special needs issues, a policeman behind your vehicle or responding to your house can be a very difficult situation,” he said. “We want people to know that we’re human, too, and we’re willing to do whatever we can to help that communication.”