Law Enforcement and our disabled children
What steps have you taken to protect your child?
Back in May of 2022, I interviewed a Montgomery County (MD) police officer (Laurie Reyes) and a mom (Jenn Lynn) whose son trains law enforcement officers. We talked about Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and Law Enforcement. One point Jenn made was that parents should introduce their children to their local police departments. You want to make sure they know about your child.
I thought this was a great idea at the time, but I never acted on it. Fast forward to March of 2023 and my son being brought home by a pair of local police officers. He was at a local park and causing a disturbance. The details are fuzzy, I was in a bit of shock when I opened my front door and saw him standing there with the officers.
He wasn’t in cuffs or anything dramatic like that. The officers let him walk home from the park, following in their cruiser. They wanted to make sure he got home okay and asked me if there were any mental health issues. Throughout our brief interaction, they were soft-spoken and calm.
I share this because the media is quick to put law enforcement on blast when there are officers disrespecting, or outright killing, citizens. This is as it should be. I believe those who abuse their power should be held accountable. I also believe these are the minority. Unfortunately the thousands of successful interactions, like my son’s, seldom get publicized. In my opinion, this puts law enforcement across the country on the defensive. Think about how you act when you are feeling defensive. It can make it very difficult to have positive interactions.
Police Officers have an incredibly stressful job. Frequently they have no idea what they will be responding to. People don’t call the cops when they’re having a good day. As a rule, they have to be prepared for the worst to keep themselves safe. Knowing this we can, and should, do our best to make sure they know what to expect if they have an interaction with our children.
