Newport News police program seeks to improve officers' interactions with people with autism

Jan. 4--Kalisha Mitchell was at the dentist one day in 2016 with her adult son, Jequan Morgan, when he started to panic.

Morgan, who has autism and bipolar disorder, rushed out of the office and into the parking lot where he was beating on cars. Someone who saw this must've called Hampton police, because Mitchell said officers showed up a short time later.

The officers stayed back while Mitchell spent hours trying to calm him down. Morgan wasn't able to answer questions, and if an officer tried to grab him, it would've made his panic worse.

"Had I not been out there, it would've been a completely different situation, the way the police had to respond to it. It's situations like that," Mitchell said. "Even the police officers were like, 'I learned more in the last two years about autism sitting here with you than I have in our training.'"

Mitchell hopes that a new program from the Newport News Police Department might make situations like that easier for her son and others.

Called Project Guardian, part of the initiative involves more in-depth training for officers about autism. The other part is a database that families can submit info to such as a person's emergency contact, triggers and de-escalation techniques.

"We just need to be there for the entire family," said J. R. Howser, the major crimes detective who started the program.

Previously, Howser said, officers didn't get much training in how to interact with people with autism in particular. It gets a mention in the mental health course during the academy, but it's talked about along with several other issues that patrol officers might encounter on the beat.

The department hopes to bring in a specialist to give officers more information about autism spectrum disorders.

The database links into the officer's dispatch system so that when officers are sent to the house of someone enrolled in Project Guardian, their information pops up. There are about 35 enrolled in Project Guardian.

The department wants to be able to let patrol officers know if they have anyone enrolled in the program in their beat areas. That way, they know what to do if a casual encounter happens.

"Say there's a 5-year-old that is nonverbal, but will be easier to talk to or communicate with if you have a Thomas the Train figurine in your car," Howser said. "These are basic things that officers can put in their vehicles in their day-to-day that might just make their situation better."

The online form, which can be found on the police department's website, gives spaces for a parent or guardian to put in basic vital details and information about their child's diagnosis. They can list atypical behaviors to watch out for that officers might misinterpret, like if they struggle to make eye contact or talk to themselves as a way of self-stimulating.

There also is space for family members to list de-escalation approaches -- for example, if breathing exercises or counting can help with anxiety.

Mitchell, the founder of a support group for parents and families of children with autism called A Brighter Side to ASD, said that so far the reaction in her community of parents has been positive.

Some people have been hesitant about giving too much personal information into a police database. Mitchell said she thinks it was the right choice for her family

"I really believe that this will give the police officers and first responders a chance to understand everybody is not the same, every situation is not the same," Mitchell said.

Matt Jones, 757-247-4729, mjones@dailypress.com

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