Law enforcement is more likely to overuse force if an individual has a disability, and the results can be tragic. New ideas aim to improve the status quo.
Those with non-apparent disabilities such as autism may have trouble responding to police instructions.Source: Hidden Disabilities Sunflower/Neil Juggins "Tom" is 40 years old, and 6’6” tall. “He’s like a big teddy bear," his mother likes to say.
He has an intellectual disability and has struggled intermittently with Tom is blessed to be well-resourced. He lives independently in an assisted living facility, a 15-minute drive from his parents. He is an avid Pokémon card collector and a frequent visitor to the neighborhood library. He also loves Snickers bars—which is a problem because he has borderline type II diabetes. His parents control his access to spending money and try to limit his sweet intake. Now and then, when he doesn’t have any spare cash, Tom steals a few Snickers bars from a neighborhood store. All the caretakers in his life have counseled him repeatedly to stop this behavior, but he intermittently gives in to the urge. The staff of the local establishments know Tom; they call his parents for payment if they catch Tom sneaking out of the store with unpaid merchandise. This summer, Tom walked four miles to a new CVS. He grabbed a few Snickers, stuffed them in his pocket, and walked out. The cashier followed Tom out of the store, and a newly-hired young cop just happened to be in the parking lot. The officer yelled"Stop!" but Tom was frightened and overwhelmed and started to run; the policeman pursued and tackled him. After Tom was cuffed and charged, he was brought to the nearest police station where his parents picked him up. The local police force knows Tom, but this connection didn't protect him during a volatile moment with a new hire. The story doesn’t end here. A court hearing was scheduled. His assisted living facility sent him home to live with his parents until the charges were eventually dropped. His parents are in their 70s; the experience was highlyTom’s story is not unique. In September 2011, officers stopped Gilberto Powell, a 22-year-old man with Down syndrome, concerned that the bulge under his shirt was a gun. Gilberto had difficulty answering questions and resisted the pat-down. In response, the officers pushed him to the ground and struck him on the face. Only after using extreme force did the officers realize that Gilberto’s bulge was a colostomy bag. They defended their actions, stating that they did not know Gilberto was disabled. Police brutality in America is a significant issue; the problem is amplified for individuals with disabilities. The ACLU notes that police officers are more likely to misuse force and cause significant harm when interacting with an individual with a disability, especially if that individual is a person of color. People who have trouble following orders and processing information under stress are misread as dangerous, and the results can be heartbreaking., called police to their home when Ryan’s behavior became out of control. The family had called law enforcement five times in the past and the deputies had helped Ryan access more intensive treatment without using force. This time, Ryan came to the doorway holding a hoe over his head. The officer backed away, but then turned around and shot Ryan, fatally, after five seconds of interaction. Over five prior visits, the deputies had de-escalated the situation. On this call, the officer didn’t seem to know Ryan’s history, misread the situation, and killed a There are some initiatives aiming to help law enforcement interact more thoughtfully with people with disabilities. In Massachusetts, “The Blue Envelope” program provides a blue envelope to hold the car license and registration for individuals with autism. If stopped by the police while driving, the blue envelope alerts the officer that this individual has special communication needs. I wish this program could be expanded to include others with communication difficulties, such as those with a brain injury or an intellectual disability. Some police departments have created crisis-intervention teams that include a mental health worker; a unit like this could have saved Ryan’s life. But crisis teams may not always be available for unexpected situations. Without adequate information, officers may overuse force when they need to make quick decisions under duress. What if there could be a nationally-recognized visual sign that law enforcement could identify from afar? It would signal an invisible disability, and change the perspective of the officer assessing the situation, highlighting the need for more patience.In 2016, the staff at London's Gatwick Airport launched the Hidden Disability Sunflower, a bright yellow sunflower with a green background. It is available for those with hidden disabilities in multiple forms to alert others to a non-visible special need. The Sunflower has since been adopted globally. Multiple airports and airlines, theme parks, cities including Lexington, Kentucky, and universities including Pace University in New York are Sunflower-friendly; their staff have undergone training to understand invisible disabilities and how to support the people who have them. What about using the Sunflower to alert law enforcement of a disability from the first moment of engagement? Imagine an-grabbing bracelet or lanyard that is easy to wear every day; individuals could be counseled to immediately display the logo if approached by a police officer. If the level of threat is re-evaluated, patience may prevail over power. It is easy to become inured to these heartbreaking stories; that would be a tragedy unto itself. Instead, buy a Sunflower lanyard if you or a loved one has an invisible disability, send this post to your local police department and ask if they could undergo Sunflower training. A signal that alerts law enforcement to pause, rather than pounce, could save lives.is a child adolescent and adult psychiatrist in private practice and on faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.Whatever your goals, it’s the struggle to get there that’s most rewarding. It’s almost as if life itself is inviting us to embrace difficulty—not as punishment but as a design feature. It's a robust system for growth.Self Tests are all about you. Are you outgoing or introverted? Are you a narcissist? Does perfectionism hold you back? Find out the answers to these questions and more with Psychology Today.
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