Hennepin Co. Sheriff’s Office seeks to improve police interactions with sticker program
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office has launched a program to help law enforcement and other first responders identify when they might interact with someone who has autism, dementia or another condition that should inform how they respond.
The office is offering stickers to Hennepin County residents that can be displayed in homes and vehicles to let first responders know there may be occupants inside with such circumstances to consider.
The program comes after the 2019 Colorado police killing of Elijah McClain, who had autism, and local calls for police reform.
According to the advocacy group Autism Unites, people with autism are seven times more likely to interact with police than those without, and they may have trouble complying and communicating.
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“We have to make sure we’re calm, make sure we use our skills we learned in training, to make sure we don’t have to use force on these people, because a lot of times they’re scared of people in uniform,” Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson told host Tom Crann.
The sticker program is “just one tool in the toolbox” when it comes to improving interactions between police and the public, Hutchinson said.
He highlighted new training efforts in Hennepin County to help police react more appropriately in high-pressure situations, with an emphasis on de-escalation and awareness of implicit bias.
The Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training is establishing new guidelines for police training, and Hutchinson has plans to organize sessions with the Autism Society of Minnesota.
Hutchinson lauded the Hennepin County Board for approving $8.2 million in funding to expand and upgrade a law enforcement training facility in Maple Grove with new training systems and technology.
There have been calls to defund and dismantle police departments in Minnesota and across the country. But Hutchinson made the case for even more law enforcement funding to further update training and attract better and more diverse candidates in the hiring process with higher base salaries.
Hutchinson stopped short of saying that policing needs to be “reimagined,” but he did recognize a need for change: “What we were doing before, the public does not like. The public wants new and better law enforcement, and we need to evolve.”
Hennepin County residents can request stickers here. The stickers will also be available at the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office booth at the Minnesota State Fair.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.