Communication can be difficult for people with autism, especially in stressful situations. 

The Blue Envelope Program, a new initiative adopted by the Wareham Police, makes that communication easier in traffic stops and other law enforcement interactions. 

Under the program, people with autism can have a blue envelope that contains contact information for their family members and guardians as well as information about their communication needs. They can hand this envelope to the police during a traffic stop or other interaction, providing officers with information about the person so they don't have to rely on verbal communication. 

The program was instituted statewide in Connecticut in 2020, and has since been adopted by individual police departments across the nation. 

Kevin Reilly, a sergeant with the Wareham Police, suggested the department adopt the program. 

Reilly serves on the SEMLEC Search and Rescue Team, a mutual aid consortium made up of officers from different Plymouth County departments. Its members receive specialized training in search and rescue, including training on interactions with people with autism or dementia, and it is often involved in search and rescue missions for people with those conditions. 

A fellow officer on the SEMLEC team, one from the Fairhaven Police Department, told Reilly about the Blue Envelop Program during a training session. Fairhaven adopted its own version of the program in July. 

"I realized I was fortunate in receiving a vast amount of training regarding individuals living with autism, but this is not the case for most officers," said Reilly. "This program could be utilized in Wareham to assist officers here."

The program helps police officers know when they're interacting with a person with autism. Officers may otherwise incorrectly interpret their behavior as noncompliance or aggressiveness, says Reilly. 

The program also helps in situations where a person may be non-verbal, providing law enforcement with contact information of parents and guardians even if the person can't provide that information themself. 

"My desire for the implementation of this program in our community is to improve interactions between law enforcement officers and people with autism," said Reilly. 

The blue envelopes are located at the Wareham Police Department. The department also has information forms for people with autism or special needs, as well as questionnaires for people with dementia or alzheimer's, both of which can help in situations not involving a motor vehicle. These forms are available on the police department's webpage, at https://www.wareham.ma.us/police/forms-applications.