Cranford Police Cars To Have 'Sensory Communication Kits'

CRANFORD, NJ — Thanks to a wise police officer, a generous local business, and the Police Department’s Community Outreach Unit, radio cars will now contain “Sensory Communication Kits" so police can better communicate with people with sensory issues in a crisis, such as those with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

“The Sensory Communication Kits are intended to improve relationships and mitigate communication barriers between our officers and those individuals in our community who may have an underlying diagnosis involving sensory issues,” Chief Ryan Greco announced a week ago.

Last September, the police in Salt Lake City shot a 13-year-old boy with an autism spectrum disorder after his mother called them for help in a crisis.

Kits can help keep a situation from escalating.

Veteran officer saw a need

According to a press release from the department, Officer John Rattigan, a 16-year veteran of the force and paramedic, saw the value in providing officers with a kit. It contains self-soothing tools, ear protection, eye protection, and whiteboards "to be used during crisis situations in which hypo and hyper-sensitivities may affect an officer’s interaction with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)."

After he assembled a prototype and pitched the idea to the organization, the Cranford Police Department created an additional seven kits to outfit police vehicles in the Patrol Division, Juvenile Bureau and Community Outreach Unit. One kit will also be housed inside police headquarters.

The Community Outreach Unit, comprised of Lt. Matthew Nazzaro and Officer Ali Muhammad, then determined that the kits could benefit from being housed inside clearly identifiable, custom-made bags.

After approaching Scott and Donna Marino of Cougar Headquarters in Cranford to discuss design options, Scott and Donna immediately offered to design, produce, and donate all of the custom sensory bags towards this initiative.

“Cranford is a special place where we have raised our family and grown our business,” said Donna Marino. “We were thrilled to be a part of this new endeavor and are always on board to help the youth of the Cranford community.”

Cougar headquarters has worked with many local organizations on custom, Cranford-themed apparel and has supplied equipment and uniforms for the annual Cranford Police Department Youth Police Academy held during summer months. “It was our pleasure to have partnered with the Cranford Police Department on this latest initiative," they said.

The majority of Cranford Police Officers are Crisis Intervention Trained (CIT) and some officers have advanced training in Juvenile Crisis Intervention Training. “De-escalation is a major component of modern law enforcement that aids in the peaceful disposition of police-citizen encounters,” Chief Greco said.

He applauded Officer Rattigan for this innovative idea, and was encouraged when Officer Muhammad of the Community Outreach Unit spearheaded the effort to make the concept a reality.

“Aside from showing great teamwork, I trust that this initiative demonstrates our officers’ commitment to our Special Needs Community,” said Greco.

Special needs registry

In addition to this initiative, the Cranford Police Department actively offers a Special Needs Registry. The Special Needs Registry is designed for residents who may be challenged with developmental disabilities such as Autism, Dementia, Down Syndrome, or other special needs.

The program was created to better assist families with loved ones who might be at a higher risk for wandering from home and getting lost. By voluntarily registering, the police will have access to personal information should they encounter an individual who has difficulty speaking or identifying themselves.

For more information about the Special Needs Registry or other Community Outreach Initiatives, please contact Officer Ali Muhammad at a-muhammad@cranfordnj.org or 908-272-8989.

Want to be the first in your neighborhood to get breaking news alerts, or a daily morning newsletter of news in your town? You can sign up for Patch alerts and/or a free a daily digest of news here: Sign up and choose your preferences.

Got news? Email caren.lissner@patch.com. Got photos? Please include express written permission from the photographer for us to use them. To be the first to get free news alerts with breaking stories in your town, or to get a free local newsletter each morning, sign up for Patch breaking news alerts or daily newsletters.