Porter County first with program to aid autism interactions with police
Porter County will be the first in Indiana to offer countywide the Blue Envelope Program, which is designed to foster better communication during a traffic stop between those on the autism spectrum and law enforcement.
In December, the Porter County Commissioners gave their blessing to the Porter County Sheriff's Office to participate in the program that was started in Portage Township.
State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage, in this current legislative session introduced House Bill 1179 to institute the Blue Envelope Program statewide. The bill failed to make it out of committee.
However, Moseley was able to convince the state's Bureau of Motor Vehicles to start a pilot program in Porter County, where the blue envelope materials will be available to the public at the Valparaiso and Portage BMV branches, said Joyce Russell, the Portage Township community relations and outreach director who also heads the Portage Township Autism Action Coalition.
Russell said after a meeting with Porter County Sheriff Jeff Balon and police chiefs on Wednesday, all of the law enforcement agencies in the county agreed to participate and become distribution points for the Blue Envelope Program.
'It's a big deal. We are the first in Indiana to do this. Porter County can now be a model for the rest of Indiana,' Russell said. 'It's also a good thing that Porter County is becoming more sensory friendly and aware of autism.'
Russell said she hopes that the blue envelopes can be available by around April 1. For now, the blue envelopes are available at the Portage Township offices, Portage Police and the Porter County Sheriff's Office.
The way that the Blue Envelope Program works is the person on the autism spectrum puts their driver's license, registration and contact information inside the envelope to be placed inside the vehicle. A message can also be included to advise the officer about special conditions the driver might have.
A blue envelope sticker is placed on the back window to alert a law enforcement officer that they are dealing with a driver who is on the autism spectrum.
The envelope also has instructions to aid the driver with autism if they are stopped, such as to make sure they keep their hands on the steering wheel and to roll their window down.
A person on the autism spectrum can start 'stimming' — engaging in repetitive body movements like rocking back and forth — because they are stressed out by the traffic stop, Russell said.
That can lead to a law enforcement officer misunderstanding the situation. Russell said she believes the program, which has been used in other states, is 'simple and effective.'
'It can save lives from an incident gone bad,' Russell said.
Since January, Russell said that 20 blue envelope packets have been handed out by Portage Township. The material has been available at the Porter County Sheriff's Department and Portage Police Departments.
Eight states have the Blue Envelope Program in place.
Russell said she hopes that the program can spread to neighboring Lake and LaPorte counties and eventually statewide.
'We will have the state see this is a program that's important and will make a difference,' Russell said.
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