The Hopewell Township Police Department currently offers the S.A.F.E. (Secure Awareness for First Responders) program, which is a voluntary registry for those members of our community that are on the Autism spectrum and/or who have any other communication disorders that might make emergency situations particularly stressful for them. The information in the S.A.F.E. registry provides HTPD officers with quick access to critical information in emergency situations; including information regarding emergency contact information, a current photograph, medical concerns, best methods of communication, any known stressors / stress reducers, self-soothing behaviors, and much more. Any information that you provide is confidential and will only be used by law enforcement in emergent situations. In addition to being added to the registry, program participants will also receive S.A.F.E. stickers that can be proudly displayed vehicles and at front entrances to residences. These stickers can assist responding officers / EMS in emergencies and can also serve as a potential de-escalation tool.
The S.A.F.E registration form can be found at: https://www.hopewelltwp.org Completed forms may be handed in at the Police Dispatch window, or emailed to the program coordinator at amirra@hopewelltwp.org.
In addition to the S.A.F.E. registry, all of our front line patrol vehicles are also now equipped with special “sensory communication kits”, which include items such as a whiteboard, ear protection, sunglasses, and various “fidget” toys. The purpose of these kits is to assist officers in making police interactions less stressful and to help facilitate communication by whatever means are most comfortable for the individual that they are interacting with.
We also have some fundraising opportunities for PALS (a local non-profit organization created by Hopewell Township residents), that we are very excited to share! PALS, which stands for Pennington Adult Living Services, offers various services and programs to assist individuals on the Autism spectrum in living more independent, productive, and happy lives!
Hopewell Township PBA Local 342 will be selling special HTPD “Autism Acceptance” patches for $15 each during the month of April in order to help raise money and awareness. All proceeds will go directly to PALS to help them continue to carry out their important work in the community. In order to purchase one, please send $15 to the Hopewell PBA via Venmo at @hopewellpba342 and don’t forget to add a private note that includes the words “Autism Patch”, as well as the name and address where you would like the patch to be sent!
Additionally, HTPD officers will be competing with teachers from the Hopewell Valley School District in an inaugural charity softball game on May 21, 2022. Admission for the event will be $5 and all proceeds from the event will be donated to PALS. See the attached flyer for more details!
If you are interested in learning more about PALS and all of the great work that they are doing, please visit their website at www.palsnj.org. You can also show your support by paying them a visit at their workshop and com
