TEWKSBURY — Chief Ryan Columbus is pleased to report that the Tewksbury Police Department is partnering with KultureCity to become a sensory-friendly police department in an effort to better serve those on the autism spectrum and those with other invisible disabilities.
KultureCity, a leading nonprofit agency that helps train organizations and first responders in how to become sensory-friendly, will provide training to all Tewksbury Police Officers, as well as sensory kits that will assist those with sensory processing needs.
The training will take place over the next several months.
KultureCity has served over 1,800 organizations across the country, including over 275 police and fire departments.
KultureCity helps train others to address the one in four individuals diagnosed with an invisible disability, such as autism, PTSD, dementia, ADHD, traumatic brain injury, patients who have suffered from a stroke and patients with Parkinson’s disease, to name just a few.
KultureCity also provides sensory kits, containing items such as a “feelings thermometer,” designed for people who are nonverbal or may have difficulty speaking in a stressful situation. It includes a range of different emotions and cues intended to help bridge the communication gap in an emergency. The kits also include fidget tools to help individuals de-stress and calm down during high-stress situations, to help people focus and better ground themselves.
Lastly, they include noise-dampening headphones, which tune out ambient noise, while still allowing the wearer to communicate to help in an emergency.
Once all officers have been trained, each police cruiser deployed by Tewksbury Police will be equipped with a sensory kit, and the department will post specific signage about being sensory-friendly.
“Our training with KultureCity will help all of our officers communicate more effectively in situations involving individuals on the autism spectrum, with PTSD, or a host of other invisible disabilities,” said Chief Columbus. “We are grateful for this chance to learn and to improve our ability to respond to those in our community.”