{"id":21228,"date":"2026-07-23T08:54:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T12:54:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/?post_type=wfsu-news&p=21228"},"modified":"2026-07-23T09:41:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T13:41:32","slug":"tallahassee-police-have-launched-an-autism-awareness-initiative","status":"publish","type":"wfsu-news","link":"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wfsu-news\/tallahassee-police-have-launched-an-autism-awareness-initiative\/","title":{"rendered":"Tallahassee police have launched an autism awareness initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tallahassee police have announced the Approach with Care Autism Awareness Initiative. It’s an effort to create better outcomes for people with autism who interact with law enforcement.<\/p>\n

“There’s an incredibly strong likelihood that every single one of our officers at some point in their career will have a contact with someone with this disorder,” says TPD Chief Lawrence Revell. “Those interactions deserve the same professionalism that we bring to every single call, but they also require awareness, understanding, and the right tools.” <\/p>\n

TPD Deputy Chief Jeff Mahoney has a son with autism. An encounter with another dad in a park about eight months ago was the catalyst for the initiative.<\/p>\n

“I was swinging my son. He was swinging his son, and we quickly started a conversation and we both realized that we were dealing with the same thing. Both of our sons are nonverbal and have autism,” Mahoney says.<\/p>\n

That discussion turned into something palpable — free vehicle decals.<\/p>\n

“This initiative is designed to help officers recognize that there may be a child or adult with autism in a vehicle,” Mahoney says. “The decal provides important information that individuals may be nonverbal, they may be sensitive to flashing lights or sounds or sirens, or any unexpected interactions.”<\/p>\n

As part of the initiative, free decals are available to discreetly alert first responders that someone in a vehicle may be on the autism spectrum.<\/p>\n

Approach With Care decals are available at no cost through TPD’s Community Relations Unit, Florida State University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, Leon County Schools through Exceptional Student Education teachers, and MidTown Print.<\/p>\n

Here’s the news release from TPD<\/u>:<\/p>\n

Tallahassee Police Launches Approach with Care Autism Awareness Initiative<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) is proud to announce the launch of the Approach with Care Autism Awareness Initiative, a community partnership focused on increasing autism awareness and helping create safer interactions between law enforcement officers and individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).<\/em><\/p>\n

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 31 children in the United States has been identified with autism spectrum disorder, making autism one of the most common developmental disabilities nationwide. <\/em><\/p>\n

As autism diagnoses continue to increase, TPD continues to prioritize ensuring officers receive the training, resources, and community partnerships needed to better serve every member of the Tallahassee community.<\/em><\/p>\n

As part of the initiative, families and autistic adults can receive a free vehicle decal that discreetly alerts first responders that someone inside the vehicle may be on the autism spectrum. The decal serves as an additional communication tool, giving officers important context before an interaction begins.<\/em><\/p>\n

For many individuals with autism, emergency situations can be overwhelming. Delayed responses, sensory sensitivities, or difficulty processing verbal instructions may be characteristics of autism rather than signs of noncompliance.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Every interaction between an officer and a member of the public is an opportunity to build trust,” said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell. <\/em><\/p>\n

“Initiatives like Approach with Care help us better understand the needs of the people we serve so we can respond with greater awareness while continuing to keep our community safe. We are grateful to our community partners for helping make this initiative possible and for their continued commitment to the families of Tallahassee and Leon County.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Community partners include:<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2022 Florida State University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (<\/em>FSU CARD<\/em><\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2022 Leon County Schools<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2022 Behavioral Management Consultants (BMC)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2022 Cayer Behavioral Group<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2022 Children’s Home Society Early Steps<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2022 MidTown Print<\/em><\/p>\n

FSU CARD is honored to partner with TPD on this important initiative. Giving the law enforcement officers a visual cue to alert them that the vehicle they are approaching may have a passenger with autism, allows the officer to shift their mindset before initiating any interaction. <\/em><\/p>\n

This decal in combination with autism education for law enforcement officers, sets the officers and the community members up for success during potentially stressful situations,” said Catherine Zenko, Director of FSU CARD.<\/em><\/p>\n

Approach With Care decals are available at no cost through TPD’s Community Relations Unit, Florida State University CARD, Leon County Schools through Exceptional Student Education teachers and MidTown Print. <\/em><\/p>\n

To request a decal from TPD, community members can visit police headquarters at 234 E. Seventh Ave., call 850-891-4200 and ask for the Community Relations Unit, or email tpdcpu@talgov.com.<\/em> <\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 WFSU<\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","wds_primary_category":0},"categories":[],"tags":[1136,1135],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTallahassee police have launched an autism awareness initiative - WFSU Local Routes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wfsu-news\/tallahassee-police-have-launched-an-autism-awareness-initiative\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tallahassee police have launched an autism awareness initiative - WFSU Local Routes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The initiative includes free vehicle decals. 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