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An article that ran in the Scarborough Leader on 12-04-2009 |
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For this week’s article I would like to introduce you to a new program that the Scarborough Police Department is initiating to assist those in our community who may have special needs. A few weeks ago, our dispatch center received a call involving a missing child. The child was reported to have autism and had already been missing for a few minutes. In the case of a missing child, it is always essential that we respond quickly. Because an autistic child may have a tendency to gravitate toward water and/or may not have an accurate sense of danger, it is even more critical that responding officers locate the individual as quickly as possible. Fortunately, in this case the child was located at a residence in the neighborhood and everything was fine. This case did, however, give us the opportunity to pause and think about how we could be more efficient in handling these situations. Clearly our objective is to locate the person as quickly as possible. With that in mind, the more focused our search can be, the greater our chances are of being successful. Having specific information such as where the individual may have gone previously or where there are pools or other bodies of water, etc. would be of tremendous value to us. When this particular call took place, we were fortunate to have an officer on duty that has a child on the autism spectrum. This officer worked closely with our dispatchers to make sure that the right questions were asked in order to provide officers with some specific direction. After this call, I had occasion to speak with the officer about the importance of specific information not just about the individual’s identity or description but also about the nuances of their special needs. Is there a word “trigger” that would help us communicate with the individual? If the individual is not verbal, what method of communication can be used? Is the individual scared of uniforms, hats, emergency lights, etc.? It occurred to me that with the advances in technologies in our dispatch center, we have the ability to attach certain information to either an individual or an address. An example might be a business that uses and/or stores dangerous chemicals. We have the ability to document the chemical type and location on site to assist first responders in dealing with the situation while keeping everyone as safe as possible. Likewise, if an individual has been assaultive toward police officers in the past, we can flag that information so that officers dealing with this individual in the future will automatically receive that warning. After discussing this at length, I asked the officer if he would help draft a form that might be used to collect specific information that could be helpful in the event that we had to locate, assist, or communicate with an individual that may have special needs. The officer was more than willing to do that and the program that we now offer is a result of his work. Although the idea was the result of a call involving an autistic child, the form was designed to capture information that is relative to a variety of special needs spanning all age categories. The intent of the program is to offer a voluntary registration process whereby an individual or an individual’s parent, legal guardian, or legally chosen designee can provide as much specific information and description as they choose. We also have the ability to include a picture if the individual so desires. This information will be entered in the computer system and attached to the individual’s name as well as the street address of their residence. The information is kept confidential and will only be available to Scarborough’s police officers and public safety dispatchers. In the event that a call is received regarding a registered individual, or from the residence of a registered person, the information provided will immediately be brought to the attention of the responding officers. Using the laptop computers in the patrol vehicles, the information including a picture, if supplied, will be readily available to the officer. The computer system will also provide an aerial photograph of the individual’s neighborhood. By using the map, the on-duty supervisor will have the ability to coordinate a more in-depth search if necessary. As an added level of security, we also have the ability to display an aerial photograph of any of the public schools in Scarborough. In the unlikely event that a child went missing from a school, the officer would have a map of the child’s school and surrounding area immediately available. Obviously, it would be nice if we never had to use any of this information. However, in the event that we do, I am in hopes that our preparation will provide us with the greatest opportunity to be successful in keeping our citizens safe. Anyone wishing to participate in this program can find the necessary forms and release on our website at www.scarboroughpolice.com. If you would like to see a live demonstration of how the information is stored and used, or if you have any ideas, concerns, or comments please feel free to reach me at 730-4399 or by email at rmoult@ci.scarborough.me.us.
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