The City Council passed a bill last week to require the NYPD to train officers to be better at identifying and engaging appropriately with New Yorkers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as rates have risen in recent years.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams delivers remarks at Police Academy Graduation Ceremony at MSG on Monday, April 24, 2023
Christal Williams, the mother of two adult sons with varying forms of ASD, doesn’t think any training will ever be enough, especially when handling children of color. One son, Kaqwan, has Asperger’s syndrome, which is on the autism spectrum. Williams recalled NYPD officers arresting him as a teenager and that the police did not inform his parents when he was detained. Williams only found out thanks to Kaqwan’s friend informing her.
“If somebody accepted him, he would be willing to go along with them,” she said. “If they did certain things, his judgment wasn’t what it should have been, so he would just follow them and when things would happen, he would get the brunt of it because he didn’t know how to express himself.” “The rate of autism diagnosis is on the rise, including on Staten Island,” said Councilmember Kamillah Hanks, who co-sponsored the bill. “Many of us, including myself, have family, friends, neighbors, or colleagues who are autistic New Yorkers, and it is a priority of mine to ensure their safety and well-being. This bill will provide the NYPD training tools to maximize safety and respect for all autistic New Yorkers, as well as our police officers.
“We are eager to see the police department implement comprehensive, effective training to ensure that all their officers are appropriately equipped with the skills and sensitivities needed to respond to people with autism,” said Karolidis in a statement.
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