POLK COUNTY, FL. – In response to suggestions from the community, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office announces a new free program where citizens can elect to put decals on their homes and vehicles alerting deputies that someone within has been diagnosed with autism.
“Our deputies are trained on the unique characteristics, behaviors, and needs of people with autism. When a deputy sees one of these stickers, or responds to a home that has registered for this program, he or she will know they might interact with someone who has difficulty communicating or interacting with others. This enables us to better communicate with those who have special needs,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
The Autism Decal comes with a registration form, and the information on the form is entered into a database. Those who do not wish to affix a decal to their home or vehicle can still fill out the registration form to be entered into the database.
The database enables PCSO to flag addresses into the dispatch system, so arriving deputies will be aware that someone with autism lives in the home.
If you are interested in participating in this program, please email autismdecal@polksheriff.org and a Crime Prevention Specialist will send you the form and corresponding information.
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