London – An autism card program meant to improve interactions between police and people with autism has been introduced by police in London, England.
The new Autism Alert Cards will be carried by individuals with autism and will identify the cardholder as having an autism. It will also hold basic information including the individual’s name and contact details for an appropriate adult.
The aim is for cardholders to be able to readily produce the card when they come into contact with police and provide officers and staff with the information in order to aid understanding and effective interaction.
The cards will alert officers to the fact that the individual may have difficulty with communication and exhibit unusual or unpredictable behaviour. In turn, officers will be able to make appropriate and reasonable adjustments and interact with the individual appropriately.
The card also details how autism manifests and provides practical advice for the officer involved.
The larger passports will include the same information and can be carried in bags or rucksacks for the individual to produce when required.
The scheme has been produced as a result of a collaboration between the Metropolitan Police Service, City of London Police and British Transport Police. It is supported by the National Police Autism Association and will be rolled out across London.
