Elyria police launch autism response program

Inspired by one officer's experience raising a son on the autism spectrum, the Elyria Police Department announced that it is launching an Autism Alert Response Program to better interact with people on the spectrum. Under the program, announced Monday, officers will receive specialized training on interacting with those who have autism spectrum disorder and the department will create an optional registry to record information to inform officers on how to deal with those on the spectrum. "The Elyria Police Department is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all members of our community," Elyria Police Chief James Welsh said in a news release. "This program not only equips our officers with the tools they need to respond effectively, but also strengthens our partnership with families of individuals with ASD." As a part of the program, Elyria police are launching an Autism Alert Response Form, a voluntary document that caregivers, guardians and parents can fill out with information about their loved ones on the spectrum and submit to the department. "The form provides officers with critical, pre-collected information about individuals with autism spectrum disorder, ensuring officers are better prepared to meet their unique needs during encounters," the release said. Officer Gage Hume, who rejoined the Elyria Police Department in 2022, will be the coordinator of the department's Autism Response Team, he said in a video announcement Monday. Hume has a son who is autistic and nonverbal, and Welsh has previously told The Chronicle that the new program was largely inspired and spearheaded by Hume. The release said that the optional forms would be especially useful when a child on the spectrum elopes, a term used to describe a common occurrence in which a child with ASD will run or wander away from caregivers, often due to over- or understimulation. "As a parent of a nonverbal autistic child, and (working) alongside other Elyria police officers who also have children on the spectrum, we understand how important safety is for our residents," Hume said in the video. "We know the fears that come with elopement and law enforcement encounters. Our goal here at EPD is to ease those concerns by ensuring that we have the right tools, training and information to respond quickly and effectively." In addition to recovering eloped children more quickly, the department said that the program would enhance officers' sensitivity and awareness of ASD, make interactions between them and people on the spectrum safer and build relationships with those individuals and their families. For more information on the program or to fill out a form, residents can visit cityofelyria.org/department/police/autism-response/. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.