Law enforcement officers' interactions with autistic individuals: Commonly reported incidents and use of force.
Even after autism training, officers still use high-force tactics during non-criminal calls.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Granillo et al. (2022) asked 130 officers who had taken autism training about their real calls.
Each officer listed the last three times they met someone with autism.
They noted what the person did and what force, if any, they used.
What they found
Most calls were not crimes.
They were about wandering, loud behavior, or welfare checks.
Female officers used less force and more calming words than male officers.
How this fits with other research
Ethridge et al. (2020) studied the same officers right after training.
That paper showed the class made them know more and feel ready.
The new paper shows that months later they still used high-force moves, so the training may fade.
Cooper et al. (2024) found half of autistic adults worldwide meet police, usually for the same non-crime reasons.
Bitsika et al. (2020) adds that autistic adults feel unhappy with police, matching why officers still use force.
Waldron et al. (2023) counted only five tiny studies on police autism training, so we still know very little.
Why it matters
Your clients may meet police for wandering or meltdowns, not crimes.
Share short info cards with local officers.
List calming steps and your phone number.
Ask if refresher mini-trainings can happen every six months to keep skills fresh.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Little research exists examining interactions between law enforcement officers (LEOs) and autistic individuals. The present study includes responses from 130 LEOs who participated in autism-specific training and completed surveys assessing professional experiences responding to calls that involved individuals with known autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. The purpose of the present study was to determine the types of incidents LEOs respond to involving autistic people, and the level of force used in response to the incident. Analysis revealed four categories captured the majority of reported incidents: disruptive behavior, suspected abuse/neglect, elopement, and noncriminal behavior. The most commonly reported responses by LEOs included providing support and extreme controlling behaviors, with female officers more likely to report utilizing supportive behaviors and less force compared to male counterparts.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2022 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104371