Bill > S1264

This bill mandates that the municipal police training committee establish a mandatory course within the basic training curriculum for both regional and municipal law enforcement officers and correction officers, with the goal of improving their interactions with individuals on the autism spectrum. This training, which must be in place by January 1, 2015, will cover appropriate responses, de-escalation techniques, understanding sensory processing and language differences, and proper interrogation methods, and will include autistic adults and relevant experts as presenters. The bill defines "law enforcement officer" and "correction officer" broadly to include various police and correctional roles, and "autism spectrum disorder" according to established professional guidelines like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. The training will consist of at least eight hours and will address topics such as recognizing the nature of autism spectrum disorders, interviewing and interrogating individuals with autism, locating and safely returning individuals who may wander, understanding their decision-making abilities (referred to as "agency"), legal duties regarding protection and assistance, de-escalation, differentiating autistic traits from other behaviors, ensuring safety in correctional facilities, and the impact of law enforcement interactions on autistic individuals. This training will be integrated into existing curriculum components like "crisis intervention and conflict resolution" and "people with special needs" to avoid increasing the total required training hours. Additionally, the Commissioner of Corrections and the municipal police training committee may periodically offer this training as part of ongoing in-service education for existing officers.