The Springfield Police Department is offering stickers to those with special needs to improve interactions between officers and the public.
There are three different stickers: One for those with dementia or Alzheimer’s, one for those who are deaf or hard of hearing and another for those with autism or special needs. They can be placed on the window of a vehicle or a home.
SPD spokeswoman, Jasmine Bailey, said they’re a tool officers can use when responding to calls or during traffic stops, "to notify them that an occupant of a vehicle or a home might be special needs and so they can adjust their approach in those situations.”
All SPD officers must undergo eight hours of training on how to support people with invisible disabilities that could be misinterpreted, according to Bailey. And at least 50 SPD officers are part of the Crisis Intervention Team that requires an additional 40 hours of training.
"That helps them to recognize whenever individuals need special care in situations when they respond out to those calls," said Bailey, "and then the way in which they can approach those situations, that's going to be a calming presence and deescalate any heightened emotions that might be happening."
The free stickers are available at police headquarters and at four other locations in Springfield. They are:
- Empower: Abilities, 2864 S. Nettleton
- Arc of the Ozarks, 1501 E. Pythian
- The Gardens Assisted Living and Memory Center, 1302 W. Sunset
- Ozarks Technical Community College Disability Support Services
