At some point in an autistic’s lifetime, they will run into an officer of uniform, perhaps in a negative way. Most autistics (if not all of them) will not break any laws or rules (since many know right vs. wrong.) Some with Asperger’s you will have to be a little skeptical on, because not only do they have trouble understanding right vs. wrong, but they will even challenge the norms. If you take out the “creep” factor, they are no different no less than a hippie.
However while many police departments have voluntarily been in training to deal with individuals on all sides of the autism spectrum, some police departments have not been properly trained, or if they have gone through training, only half the department, and say the department head (or the Chief of Police for an example) may not have interest.
I’ve had a negative experience with my local police department earlier this year. Because the narrative is still fluid after 6 months, I’d rather not talk about it yet until the resolution has been completed (NOT in a legal sense.) The town I live in is a very highly regulated, legalese type of local government despite the perceived “mum and pop” operation or coming in from a another town where they resolve the issues with the department head to “keep citizens happy” is not my current town’s priorities only to make them angry so they don’t come back again by stating phrases in email “Please do not expect any further communication from me on this matter” from the Chief Executive Officer of a Top 5 town in this state!
The problem in New Hampshire is that police officers are trained in autism, and some are not. And the ones with inadequate training are getting mixed messages and then they manipulate, take advantage and bully them behind their backs when they press “Control Alt Delete” to secure a login session following in my example a false police report.
Even though I’ve said I have nothing to loose of my reputation, but when it involves police officers (in this case a Chief of Police of one of the largest populated and square milage of communities), I’m waiving this rule because the way they treated the incident (when I broke no rules and asked twice – funny how that wasn’t included in the “report”) and the way they have been acting so arrogant to think I’m the problem, and the fault is all on me is just appalling.
I’m going to reserve my “opinion” until the facts come out, sadly in private. Some recent developments were found out in an intended informal telephone call with one of the ultra conservative councilors, to then have have my back being stabbed more than once.
The local Town Council has refused to allow me to speak on this public safety matter (even after stating I wouldn’t refer to the individuals by name) because they will refuse to allow citizens to speak on “personnel issues” well then where the hell am I am supposed to go when the Chief Law Officer insults the developmentally disabled population and the Chief Executive Officer blows me off, and so the Town Council needs to listen to their constituents and do something instead of citing off an Ordinance stating you’re going to stand by your woman forever! Give me a break!
Sometimes I feel like I’m in a city, and I feel less safe in a city, and I do not feel safe seeing police officers all over town pulling over people. I fear these officers, and I’ve seen these uniformed bullies in action; and I’ve heard stories from colleagues who work with other special needs individuals who live in the same community.
It’s so bad, I haven’t been to any of the “open houses” since last fall when I started to have bad experiences with the town government – in one of the largest communities in the 603 area code.
This goes back to an earlier post of how the police force is stuck in 1995 while there should be tolerance (or most importantly sensitivity) to these people in today’s modern standards for 2015. But sadly we’ve yet again are “stuck in the past.”
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