LYNNFIELD — The Lynnfield Police Department kicked off National Autism Awareness Month with its Light it Up Blue for World Autism Day last Friday.
For one minute at dusk, a fleet of eight police cruisers beamed with blue lights in the lower parking lot at Lynnfield Town Hall, much to the delight of a small, but passionate crowd on hand to support those with autism.
“It was great. We had a pretty good turnout with quite a few families who were able to watch from many viewing spots so as to be spaced out safely and appropriately, and I think that everyone seemed to enjoy it,” said Lynnfield Det. Sgt. Chris DeCarlo, who spearheaded the event.
“It was absolutely a great way to kick off the month and definitely accomplished what we set out to do, and will continue doing throughout the month of April, which is to increase awareness of autism and recognize and show our support for those families with autism.”
The event came on the heels of the police department’s Autism Patch program, which began on April 1. DeCarlo said the department sold approximately 172 patches and raised more than $1,000 in the first five days of the initiative.
He said the department is working on a handful of other initiatives to complete during the month of April. For example, it is partnering with UniCare to offer a webinar on April 12.
“UniCare holds quarterly webinars on specific health issues and this one will be on autism,” said DeCarlo. “It’s a great way to reach out to the community and inform people about what kind of help is out there. Often, people don’t know what kinds of services are available on their end, things like early intervention for example.”
An outdoor Coffee with a Cop event is planned for April 17 from 9-11 a.m at MarketStreet. DeCarlo said the event offers a great opportunity for community members to reach out to the department and help build relationships that will be mutually beneficial for residents and police alike. Representatives from the New England Arc Autism Support Center will be on hand handing out informational brochures and literature.
“The other campaigns we’re working on for April are a little more difficult because of COVID, but we are trying to get more creative to make it work,” said DeCarlo. “We’ve reached out to Northeast Arc and they are excited about some of these ideas. Those are a couple of things we’ve been thinking about for April and now that things are turning a corner, we hope we will be able to have some contacts with the community,”
In addition, DeCarlo said the department has re-introduced its Emergency Response Information Network program, which it created to provide emergency responders with helpful information when responding to calls to homes with autistic family members. The program was developed in partnership with Lynnfield families.
“It was a great project that we rolled out in 2017, but since then, it has plateaued, so we want to raise awareness of that opportunity,” said DeCarlo. “It’s a good way to let us know what to watch out for — things like potential triggers or the location of the bedroom or possible hiding places.
“When we go into a house if we don’t know the sensory issues, flashing lights or sirens could be a trigger, so it helps our emergency response. Our dispatchers can see the volunteered information and convey it to us so we know what to do and what not to do.”
