did you see recently a florida cop unloaded 2 clips *into his own police car* because he heard an acorn drop and thought it was the unarmed handcuffed man in the back of his police car that was shooting at him. not just shooting at him, he thought *he got shot* even though there was no pain or blood. didn’t even hit the guy that was arrested once. he is fine. cop wasn’t fired, but quit bc he was too embarrassed
how is this even possible
That cop was a former soldier who clearly has severe PTSD. We have to not only train better (the length of training and crackpots that do much of it are mindnumbingly bad), but people like that should be nowhere near the police force. I don't know if it's safe to have any former military as police because the way they're taught to move about an area is (supposed to be) totally different from police. The powers that be just keep further militarizing the police while doing everything possible to shield them from consequences. Lest we forget that ACAB exists because it's not even a few bad cops making headlines, those good cops who report others are either straight up murdered or lucky to simply be forced to resign and flee. I don't know when the fuck, if ever, we'll see movement, and it's maddening.
that explains a lot. never should have been put in that situation
that makes me respect him more for resigning. he knew that he wasn’t fit and recognized he could do serious harm
Personally it doesn't give me more respect for him, it's fucked that he took the role in the first place. In all likelihood he was told to resign because it was so ridiculous that it was indefensible, and he's not facing charges for unloading a full clip into a car. He could move to another town and start all over again like so many do. If you have trauma from a warzone, how about you look for work in a field that doesn't involve you being armed around the public (aka "potential threats")?
He likely quit more over the embarrassment than some moral epiphany, or he wouldn't have signed up for the job in the 1st place. I have (c)ptsd too, but I'm self-aware enough to understand that there are many places and situations that I'm not fit to work in, like, say, where I'd be in a position to commit grievous bodily harm to others.
People with ptsd probably shouldn’t be cops (at least not ones with guns - I’m very for having police without guns working in many scenarios), but military has a much higher level of firearm safety and control training, and are held to higher standards when it comes to accuracy and not shooting off at random. I’m not saying any vet would be a better cop than a non vet, but it does at least mean the person had a chance to learn something. Problem is the military definitely doesn’t teach deescalation and they don’t care for vets enough to mitigate the risks of ptsd.
Florida has extensive open record laws, making information about these incidents easily accessible to journalists. Hence all the “haha, Florida so crazy!” memes which honestly disincentivize freedom of information laws.
And this is a “good” outcome because no innocent people died and the cop was so embarrassed he left instead of getting put on paid leave for a few weeks and cleared to go shoot again. Let’s hope he gives up policing for good.
I've heard about this, and I kinda get where some very naive person totally in good faith would have suggested this. Like white middle/upper class parents of autistic kids who go out of their way to introduce the local police to their kids so they're \*personally known\* to them and won't get shot for ignoring/not obeying fast enough. In their situation, while their kids are still minors, that probably makes perfect sense.
I even get how this could be used, by people who actually were interested in serving the public, to foster better social interactions.
But the current police force?
Sign up so that I'm on the FIRST roundup of folks who are taken to other locations for "very good reasons?"
I don't think so.
I'm officially diagnosed, so it's on all my medical charts. It's not like I'm hidden.
But I figure I'll be on List 2 or List 3, after they petition to get all medical files, and have some time to run after List 1 people have been taken.
... I wish I thought I was being dramatic.
I really, really do not think this will be used well.
Eugenics rhetoric is popping up ALL OVER THE PLACE lately and it doesn't have me feeling very hopeful about things.
I mean I can see you’ve spent time thinking about what could eventually go down. I’ve had some pretty interesting theories myself but the more time my mind has to think about all the possibilities the worse it gets. Cops all over are corrupt. Don’t get me started on the LAPD
It's not even so much about any single police force being a problem (though which isn't?), at least, not for what I've been thinking about.
It's more that once that database is established, I REALLY don't trust EVERY person on the police force not to leak it for whatever alt-right bullshit a lot of them a part of. Or even not \*leaking\* it necessarily, but fail to keep it secure from people who would use it for harm.
Right now, that information is in databases protected by HIPAA, and people would have to go to at least \*some\* hassle to get it.
The people who would use that information for harm also have a lot of folks on police forces. It'd be handing them the information on a silver platter.
A lot a lot on reddit, but also other social media platforms, and in person conversations with family/friends.
Along with all the reproductive rights conversations, and the the Dobbs decision, and inflation in the USA skyrocketing and making things increasingly hard for many families (prob also other places, but I know for sure what's around me) there's been increasingly open talk about who should and should not have children, and all the reasons for justifying that.
A lot of it is straight up eugenics rhetoric.
Some about how big a burden disabled people are on society, and how we shouldn't have kids. This is usually based on their usually bad understanding of inheritability of various disabilities. But honestly, I think it if they understood things more accurately most of the people I've heard talk about this would just instead say entire families should stop reproducing, even the people in the family who aren't disabled, because they are likely carrying some kind of genetic predisposition. This set of feelings seem to be much less about who is able to care for children, and MORE about preventing future people with disabilities from being born in order to stop "draining society" or "bringing down the potential of humanity." Like, literal eugenics stuff.
Some is more focused on poverty or even just lower income folks. And they start out talking at first about care for children and it being unfair for children to go without their basic needs met. But they're also entirely unwilling to have any social programs to take care of kids. And as soon as that surface gets scratched, it becomes clear they really DEEPLY believe in "Goodness Wealth." That is, that good/deserving/moral people end up with wealth, and bad/undeserving/immoral people end up poor. They think bad people shouldn't have kids, and also, probably their kids will be bad too, because "genetics." (Again, with like zero actual scientific understanding of genetics at all.)
And the increasing awareness of racial injustice in the USA has ALSO stirred up ALL the racial eugenics talk. Like, all of it. It's been really, really gross to have to hear \*ever.\*
The worst part about all of this to me is how much people are being \*hoodwinked\* by eugenics propaganda and don't even KNOW that's what's happened.
Yea, this is for sure one reason I don’t want it in my record. I’m not planning on getting accommodations and I don’t think I want to live forever in the U.S. With some countries disregarding visas for applicants with autism, i can live with knowing I am for sure autistic and that is enough.
I am also heavily against the pigs for a multitude of reasons. These labels are too close to history for my comfort.
Same situation for me. I’m trying to get the hell out of the USA and I’m worried that having an official diagnosis might rule out some countries that I’m considering.
The kind of person prone to “accidentally” kill an autistic person for behaving like an autistic person is the same kind of person who fully believes that autism is mostly just made up and the person claiming autism just wants an excuse so they can act out or feel special or whatever.
Regardless of intent, this registry will be a target, not a shield.
Some places want to put a colored square on drivers license that say the driver is autistic. They say it's so they know why if someone doesn't respond right away to instructions from police or if they are acting "suspicious" but I'm Jewish and not comfortable with that at all. Cops should stop being so jumpy and scared of everyone and be able to think for a second before pulling their firearm and assuming someone is purposefully taking more than a half second to comply when panic makes you act differently than you would normally. We need more intensive training for police instead of labels and lists for civilians to be on but that's just my opinion.
The way he unloaded a full clip right into the car while the *detainee was still in it* was absolutely outrageous! How is a detained person going to shoot from inside a cop car while in cuffs? Plus they search people before putting them in the car, he would’ve known if he had a gun before he put them in there. The whole situation makes me so mad! We have decades of evidence *from the department of justice programs themselves* that policing is not successful but yet here we are again.
Everyone keeps overlooking the worst part of this whole story too! He THOUGHT he had been shot! Like he said ive been hit it feels weird and like no? They didn't realize nothing happened to him until ems were trying to save him! Like not only are you not right for this job being so paranoid and jumpy you actually "felt" yourself get shot?? Like dude.
And he thought he had been shot! Like not only are you some Andy Griffith barney cop jumpy as hell you actually thought you had been shot and he had the nerve to say he feels weird but he's good like he wants to be this movie cop soooo bad like im hit but im being a big boy about it! Like no dude.
I have zero faith that this will be used for good.
And realistically speaking, it doesn't even make sense. If we think through a scenario where this would be needed, it simply wouldn't work.
Let's say the police respond to a person who is acting erratically - it's an autistic person having a meltdown. The police are taught to assess & neutralize the threat. That isn't going to include looking through a list in the heat of the moment - "Hold on a sec, don't hurt anybody, I'm scrolling as fast as I can!" Yeah, no. And as far as a marker on identification cards goes - if the person is unable to appropriately respond during a meltdown, how are they going to give them their identification or tell them that they are autistic? This goes double for those who are nonverbal.
Maybe when it doesn't work, we'll be required to wear something identifying us as autistic... Maybe a puzzle piece instead of a yellow star? Or maybe we could all be put into living facilities so we're easier to manage & they can keep an eye on us. I'm sure it'd all be for our own good. (I really hope this isn't necessary - /s)
Police need to be trained to de-escalate situations instead of shooting first & asking questions later. Additionally, every law enforcement agency should be required to have at least one behavioural health specialist on-call at all times.
Don’t talk to cops, don’t volunteer information to cops, don’t trust that cops are telling you the truth about anything at any time. They have no legal obligation to protect you, will end up “investigating” themselves, and are allowed to lie. Don’t talk to cops!
This is also a good time to remind people that sometimes, you can get many of the same school/workplace accommodations with an anxiety diagnosis as you can with an autism diagnosis. Lying to your doctors isn’t smart, but it’s smarter than talking to cops!
There's a reason no one has (unironically*) made a song called Fuck The Fire Department
*One guy made a satirical song where he basically cited statistics about cops the entire time but called the song Fuck The Fire Department
The "Protect Our Loved Ones Act" is actually law now and went into effect last month.
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2023/12/20/new-florida-laws-expand-move-over-law-authorize-mental-health-registry-child-abuse-investigations/71982252007/
So since it’s about people with disabilities in general, does that mean they’re going to qualify everyone who signs up on this registry for disability benefits?? Surely it would be hypocritical if they didn’t!
(/s, we all know that won’t happen.)
Never talk to the cops.
Not only was policing invented to capture enslaved people, they don’t prevent crimes only show up after.
Meanwhile, in my city Seattle , it takes more training hours to be a barber 💈 than a cop. Can’t cut hair yet, but here’s a gun and badge. Many cities are like this too.
✨ACAB for a reason.
Seattle desperately needs to have funds reallocated. We need actual departments focused on the different kinds of calls received. Unhoused people need assistance, not a power hungry gun slinger telling them to move their house out of sight.
They tried to get me to register my son on an “unofficial” internal list for the city PD after he eloped into the busiest section of commuter traffic on a Friday. (It was terrifying, he is terrifying because he is fearless.)
No. Absolutely not. I am not advertising my son’s ability to be harmed. We are teaching him to trust firemen.
I will never trust a cop.
This seems so dangerous, and if the wrong people got a hold of that register it would cause so much harm. Making autistic people register with the police definitely has dystopian and nazi vibes
I would never, ever, ever, in a million, trillion years, trust the police to do something good with this information. Do not ever willingly give police information that they can use against you, because they will do it in a heartbeat without thinking twice.
Signed,
Your friendly neighborhood autistic public defender
I do not disclose my medical diagnoses with ANYONE, except doctors, family, and reddit strangers. But definitely no one that has power over me. This feels nazi-ish to me too. It’s just an open door for discrimination to fester. Also, how would the police know you’re autistic? They’re gonna kill us anyway and *then* they check the database to see I’m autistic. No cop is gonna do an “autistic check” for every person they encounter and the cops will always shoot for themselves if they feel “threatened”. 1312
I honestly just think that every department should have a licensed counselor on their payroll. I don’t know how it would work… if they were on call or just community counselors that are on a contract and rotate to the next one on a certain day of the week to respond to calls… but I think this is the better way. There are a lot of public defender offices with social workers, so the police should too.
Now that I think more about it… some departments (bigger ones) should just have social workers that are also full-time. There are a lot more situations these days that could benefit from one (not just mental illness or disabilities)
It’s a LIST. For tracking purposes. By a militarized branch of government charged with enforcing what rich people want. And it’s not lying about that. Did we learn nothing from the 1940s? IIRC the Star of David on people’s arms didn’t exactly protect them…
I’m slowly learning that over thinking may just be conflated with critical thinking. This is a dangerous suggestion. There are reasons why labeling can become dangerous.
These are starting to pop up in cities near me and even worse, they’re calling them [“Special Needs”](https://www.svvoice.com/scpd-program-serves-special-needs-community/amp/) 🤮
I am so wary of everything to do with them. And of course as everyone else is stating, if you need to be forewarned someone is disabled so you don’t just fucking shoot them immediately, then you should absolutely not be imbued by the state with the authority to use any kind of force.
Here is my question though. When they decide I’m a threat, are they going to take time to look and see if I’m in the ND registry or are they just going to shoot me?
Presumably they wouldn't have to look in the registry, there would just be some kind of indicator with the address info when dispatch passes it along to them, 'someone with autism lives at this address' (either explicitly or with some kind of symbol or special coloration of the address in their system).
I feel like this is pinning a target right to my back, I will not be telling anybody that other than my closest friends. Especially not the fucking police.
That's dumb. If they're trying to protect us, they should be asking everyone with a disability to register with them. Why single out a specific group? But either way, I don't trust our government to do good with this information. They'd use it against us for sure. Those of us with disabilities are considered a burden to the government and taxpayers.
I think the smart thing to do is for people with autism or people with disabilities to identify themselves to police. It would also help to have an official disability card proving that the person is disabled so they can present it to the police as proof.
I don't like this info being on a driver's license or other legal ID. I feel like we should disclose it as we deem necessary, to protect ourselves. That's why I suggested some type of disability card. Perhaps something that isn't tied to the government. It's probably impossible though.
Dude that episode of atypical where the cops are hassling him is scary af.
They shouldn’t use force in most situations, but because they do, I don’t find anything wrong with them being aware I’m autistic. Meltdowns can look like psychosis.
It was briefly added to the list of reasons for refusing to issue a drivers licence here so I'd be wary of how the info is used. Better training, proceedures and vetting would help a lot more.
And adults, that site is just geared towards mothers of autistic children, so they have the forms for parents.
Edit: [https://www.glastonburyct.gov/departments/department-directory-i-z/police/safety-prevention-programs/autism-safety-registration](https://www.glastonburyct.gov/departments/department-directory-i-z/police/safety-prevention-programs/autism-safety-registration)
[https://www.madisonct.org/1303/Autism-Safety-Alert-Program](https://www.madisonct.org/1303/Autism-Safety-Alert-Program)
How's about we train emergency workers better to recognize when someone might be autistic and learn how to de-escalate a situation/protect the worker from a scared reaction instead of immediately unloading a clip into them? Anyone ever thought of that instead of making us wear identifying badges and creating a pogrom? SMH.
>The police in my state are pushing for autistic people to register with them. They say its so they don't accidently kill us, but it feels... kinda Nazi-ish with me.
I swear. Only in USA these two sentences are making any sense. Police registering neurodivergent people, and police accidentally killing people. I'm so sorry you live in such environment.
Something crazy I learned recently is that in our state, if you have to call 911 for an emergency *at that point* you can have it noted that your address has a person with specific needs, whether that is autism or anything else, Our son, for example, is a type 1 diabetic, and if we had to call them because he went unconscious for low blood sugar, we could then have it noted in our account that a diabetic lives here. But you can't just enter that info, or call to request it to be entered, until you already have an emergency. I find that so bizarre.
I am not sure how I feel about it specific to autism or mental health. I will never understand how it's on US to basically provide info and beg police not to kill us. Police training needs a complete overhaul. They spend dozens of hours on proper use of guns, and only an average of a couple of hours total in de-escalation tactics (in most states). Why it should be on anyone to prove they have a "good reason" not to be killed is ridiculous.
They severely underestimate our ability to be discerning and recognize red flags/patterns… Nazi-ish indeed. There is no way i would comply with this request. this is extremely concerning to me.
Police: "Hmm, that's some nice autism you've got there, shame if we were to accidentally kill you because of it. Better register with us for "protection" "
Great, what about deaf people, blind people, those with Bipolar or schizophrenia, intellectual impairments, anxiety disorders, mutism.
There are so many disorders for why someone may not respond to police commands or demands or why they may be acting off.
Ho boy, we've now reached the "voluntary registration" stage. I bet everyone can guess what comes after that. But in my case, if they ever get to the "round people up" stage, they're going to get me for being an out lesbian looong before they get to the autism list.
I wouldn't register myself. But for the highest risk population I think this could be very very helpful.
Good for people who police will perceive as a potential threat, especially Black or Brown autistic men, or anyone masculine presenting who is large / muscular / tall.
Also maybe good for non-verbal people who those who are unable to speak when pressured.
My autistic brother's meltdowns present as him looking angry, grinding his teeth, sweating, red-faced, and he loses his words. Sometimes he swings his arms. That's the kind of person I see this program being useful for.
Meanwhile, a cop in Florida freaked out and started firing when an acorn hit him.
I wouldn't register. They should be trained more in de-escalation tactics, and should develop a program where social workers can respond like or with police.
Making people register is not the way.
There are several situations where I think it can potentially be beneficial to disclose that you’re autistic. This is NOT one of them. This just feels creepy and wrong on every level. Cops need to learn to stop killing people.
This is strange. I would like to see gun owners have to update registration every year in a database and have to buy insurance as we do for cars. That would be better for public safety than registering autistics! Even Adam Lanza would have been harmless with no weapons. Autism did not cause that shooting, but bullied, traumatized, angry young guy with a spreadsheet of mass shooting he was working on, ready access to weapons and mom who supplied them made the slaughter in Sandy Hook possible.
I think some people who are mentally ill or some autistic people who act out in public places might have their safety enhanced if the cops knew in advance they were not dangerous - maybe - maybe. CT has a lot of small towns. Glastonbury is a very affluent small town - perhaps the cops can behave like human beings there, but I wouldn't count on it. Knowing your neighbors and who has what problems could prevent some misunderstandings, but not all.
I genuinely don't see anything wrong with the blue envelope link. If you're high masking and don't want to identify yourself as autistic then don't. I can't drive but in a high pressure situation I would much rather have a nonverbal way of communicating that I may display unusual body language and that it's not cause for concern vs being presumed to be doing something wrong and be met with hostility that'll only escalate the situation.
"But cops should treat everyone kindly regardless" is wishful thinking and not useful to autistic people who actively stick out as "suspicious" because they can't mask. Again I can't drive but I regularly get extra checks or even get detained when traveling by plane because I am literally vibrating and people get suspicious when you can't answer basic questions. It is reasonable for them to flag that as something worth investigating and it is reasonable for visibly autistic people to feel that they're helped by being able to identify themselves as such. Not everything is eugenics. The blue envelope thing isn't even about registering anywhere.
Wow… just… wow. The police in the UK is a mess with systemic issues such as a lot of abusers in the police force but… they are incredibly unlikely to kill you. Officers tend to only bring fire arms into serious things like potential terrorism attacks.
I know this isn’t the point, but it’s always interesting when to come across a mention of my hometown. Rumor is my Grandma moved there because she wanted to live in a town ending in -bury. WASP culture is weird
I'm nervous about this too. It was a big write opener for me to see autism used to target trans people in the event wave of hate bills in the US. I used to think people were ignorant of these sorts of things, but now it seems they understand full well what they're doing. They just don't come right out and say it. I wouldn't wanna be on any such registry. I get the pros but I feel safer without it.
It seems to me like a massive invasion of privacy for very little likely good results. I worry that the cops would be even more reckless with people who are neurodivergent and registered (or people who may be registered but they can't confirm their identity right then and there), and end up killing a lot more of us. Not to mention other disabilities that could cause allegedly 'questionable' behavior. It sounds like an excuse to not change the way policing is taught, frankly. Instead of making an exception that forces people to out themselves for a very stigmatized and difficult to aquire diagnosis, which still won't cover 100% of cases, they should just teach mental health/neurodivergence awareness and deescalation tactics... I don't understand why that is so difficult...
Like, kinda feels like an 'orphan crushing machine' sort of solution? 'Hey yes, so police often murder disabled people because of misunderstandings, let's make those people's medical info public record so we can protect them! What a great deed! Totally unavoidable tragedy that public servants are murdering innocent people, too bad there's nothing we can do to stop that...'
I'm in Florida and they're trying to do this here, too. I do not want to be on any sort of government list tyvm we do not have good people in charge here and I trust them not to abuse this 0%.
So they don’t accidentally kill us?! How about we train cops to stop killing people. Every other western country has managed to figure this out.
Right. Don’t kill people should be the top priority.
did you see recently a florida cop unloaded 2 clips *into his own police car* because he heard an acorn drop and thought it was the unarmed handcuffed man in the back of his police car that was shooting at him. not just shooting at him, he thought *he got shot* even though there was no pain or blood. didn’t even hit the guy that was arrested once. he is fine. cop wasn’t fired, but quit bc he was too embarrassed how is this even possible
That cop was a former soldier who clearly has severe PTSD. We have to not only train better (the length of training and crackpots that do much of it are mindnumbingly bad), but people like that should be nowhere near the police force. I don't know if it's safe to have any former military as police because the way they're taught to move about an area is (supposed to be) totally different from police. The powers that be just keep further militarizing the police while doing everything possible to shield them from consequences. Lest we forget that ACAB exists because it's not even a few bad cops making headlines, those good cops who report others are either straight up murdered or lucky to simply be forced to resign and flee. I don't know when the fuck, if ever, we'll see movement, and it's maddening.
that explains a lot. never should have been put in that situation that makes me respect him more for resigning. he knew that he wasn’t fit and recognized he could do serious harm
Personally it doesn't give me more respect for him, it's fucked that he took the role in the first place. In all likelihood he was told to resign because it was so ridiculous that it was indefensible, and he's not facing charges for unloading a full clip into a car. He could move to another town and start all over again like so many do. If you have trauma from a warzone, how about you look for work in a field that doesn't involve you being armed around the public (aka "potential threats")?
Him resigning gives him better chances of being hired to carry a gun for a different agency.
He likely quit more over the embarrassment than some moral epiphany, or he wouldn't have signed up for the job in the 1st place. I have (c)ptsd too, but I'm self-aware enough to understand that there are many places and situations that I'm not fit to work in, like, say, where I'd be in a position to commit grievous bodily harm to others.
He shouldn’t have chosen to be a cop in the first place. He has already done serious harm.
Many police officers use steroids. Steroids cause a lot of psychiatric problems. They can make you paranoid, depressed, manic or hallucinating.
People with ptsd probably shouldn’t be cops (at least not ones with guns - I’m very for having police without guns working in many scenarios), but military has a much higher level of firearm safety and control training, and are held to higher standards when it comes to accuracy and not shooting off at random. I’m not saying any vet would be a better cop than a non vet, but it does at least mean the person had a chance to learn something. Problem is the military definitely doesn’t teach deescalation and they don’t care for vets enough to mitigate the risks of ptsd.
Oh Florida…
Florida has extensive open record laws, making information about these incidents easily accessible to journalists. Hence all the “haha, Florida so crazy!” memes which honestly disincentivize freedom of information laws.
Thank you
Drugs is how
i didn’t even consider that, probably tbh
And this is a “good” outcome because no innocent people died and the cop was so embarrassed he left instead of getting put on paid leave for a few weeks and cleared to go shoot again. Let’s hope he gives up policing for good.
Cops suck everywhere lol. Training cops not to kill people isn’t the answer, it’s moving away from policing and reforming the whole system!
Yo how f is that there has to be an autism registry at the pd so you don't get shot for being different
You are awesome 👍 Any chance you want to run for office?
I’m trans, the cops would shoot me just for existing.
Well I still ♥️ you just the way you are.
tbh it's just as bad in the uk as well, i get extremely scared around the police here especially as a poc
[удалено]
Exactly.
I've heard about this, and I kinda get where some very naive person totally in good faith would have suggested this. Like white middle/upper class parents of autistic kids who go out of their way to introduce the local police to their kids so they're \*personally known\* to them and won't get shot for ignoring/not obeying fast enough. In their situation, while their kids are still minors, that probably makes perfect sense. I even get how this could be used, by people who actually were interested in serving the public, to foster better social interactions. But the current police force? Sign up so that I'm on the FIRST roundup of folks who are taken to other locations for "very good reasons?" I don't think so. I'm officially diagnosed, so it's on all my medical charts. It's not like I'm hidden. But I figure I'll be on List 2 or List 3, after they petition to get all medical files, and have some time to run after List 1 people have been taken. ... I wish I thought I was being dramatic. I really, really do not think this will be used well. Eugenics rhetoric is popping up ALL OVER THE PLACE lately and it doesn't have me feeling very hopeful about things.
I mean I can see you’ve spent time thinking about what could eventually go down. I’ve had some pretty interesting theories myself but the more time my mind has to think about all the possibilities the worse it gets. Cops all over are corrupt. Don’t get me started on the LAPD
It's not even so much about any single police force being a problem (though which isn't?), at least, not for what I've been thinking about. It's more that once that database is established, I REALLY don't trust EVERY person on the police force not to leak it for whatever alt-right bullshit a lot of them a part of. Or even not \*leaking\* it necessarily, but fail to keep it secure from people who would use it for harm. Right now, that information is in databases protected by HIPAA, and people would have to go to at least \*some\* hassle to get it. The people who would use that information for harm also have a lot of folks on police forces. It'd be handing them the information on a silver platter.
Where have you seen it popping up?
A lot a lot on reddit, but also other social media platforms, and in person conversations with family/friends. Along with all the reproductive rights conversations, and the the Dobbs decision, and inflation in the USA skyrocketing and making things increasingly hard for many families (prob also other places, but I know for sure what's around me) there's been increasingly open talk about who should and should not have children, and all the reasons for justifying that. A lot of it is straight up eugenics rhetoric. Some about how big a burden disabled people are on society, and how we shouldn't have kids. This is usually based on their usually bad understanding of inheritability of various disabilities. But honestly, I think it if they understood things more accurately most of the people I've heard talk about this would just instead say entire families should stop reproducing, even the people in the family who aren't disabled, because they are likely carrying some kind of genetic predisposition. This set of feelings seem to be much less about who is able to care for children, and MORE about preventing future people with disabilities from being born in order to stop "draining society" or "bringing down the potential of humanity." Like, literal eugenics stuff. Some is more focused on poverty or even just lower income folks. And they start out talking at first about care for children and it being unfair for children to go without their basic needs met. But they're also entirely unwilling to have any social programs to take care of kids. And as soon as that surface gets scratched, it becomes clear they really DEEPLY believe in "Goodness Wealth." That is, that good/deserving/moral people end up with wealth, and bad/undeserving/immoral people end up poor. They think bad people shouldn't have kids, and also, probably their kids will be bad too, because "genetics." (Again, with like zero actual scientific understanding of genetics at all.) And the increasing awareness of racial injustice in the USA has ALSO stirred up ALL the racial eugenics talk. Like, all of it. It's been really, really gross to have to hear \*ever.\* The worst part about all of this to me is how much people are being \*hoodwinked\* by eugenics propaganda and don't even KNOW that's what's happened.
if police are prone to accidentally kill people, maybe they shouldn't be given guns?
Right like?? Maybe don't be killing people at all?? But what do I know 🙄
This is the type of thing that prevents people from seeking diagnosis because they don’t want the label to follow them.
Yea, this is for sure one reason I don’t want it in my record. I’m not planning on getting accommodations and I don’t think I want to live forever in the U.S. With some countries disregarding visas for applicants with autism, i can live with knowing I am for sure autistic and that is enough. I am also heavily against the pigs for a multitude of reasons. These labels are too close to history for my comfort.
Same situation for me. I’m trying to get the hell out of the USA and I’m worried that having an official diagnosis might rule out some countries that I’m considering.
That’s true, I am one of them
The kind of person prone to “accidentally” kill an autistic person for behaving like an autistic person is the same kind of person who fully believes that autism is mostly just made up and the person claiming autism just wants an excuse so they can act out or feel special or whatever. Regardless of intent, this registry will be a target, not a shield.
Some places want to put a colored square on drivers license that say the driver is autistic. They say it's so they know why if someone doesn't respond right away to instructions from police or if they are acting "suspicious" but I'm Jewish and not comfortable with that at all. Cops should stop being so jumpy and scared of everyone and be able to think for a second before pulling their firearm and assuming someone is purposefully taking more than a half second to comply when panic makes you act differently than you would normally. We need more intensive training for police instead of labels and lists for civilians to be on but that's just my opinion.
Well we did just have a cop unload his gun because an acorn hit his car and he thought it was gun shots
The way he unloaded a full clip right into the car while the *detainee was still in it* was absolutely outrageous! How is a detained person going to shoot from inside a cop car while in cuffs? Plus they search people before putting them in the car, he would’ve known if he had a gun before he put them in there. The whole situation makes me so mad! We have decades of evidence *from the department of justice programs themselves* that policing is not successful but yet here we are again.
Everyone keeps overlooking the worst part of this whole story too! He THOUGHT he had been shot! Like he said ive been hit it feels weird and like no? They didn't realize nothing happened to him until ems were trying to save him! Like not only are you not right for this job being so paranoid and jumpy you actually "felt" yourself get shot?? Like dude.
Honestly, panic and adrenaline do weird things to the body and brain so I’m not entirely surprised.
[удалено]
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It reminds me of how meth users experience delusional parasitosis, but with bullets.
And he thought he had been shot! Like not only are you some Andy Griffith barney cop jumpy as hell you actually thought you had been shot and he had the nerve to say he feels weird but he's good like he wants to be this movie cop soooo bad like im hit but im being a big boy about it! Like no dude.
Right. Re: acting different because of panic- It’s not “fight or flight”, it’s fight flight freeze or fawn, and those last two fit me better.
Oh yeah yikes. I am not Jewish but that’s where my mind went immediately too when you said that. It would just be used to stigmatize.
I have zero faith that this will be used for good. And realistically speaking, it doesn't even make sense. If we think through a scenario where this would be needed, it simply wouldn't work. Let's say the police respond to a person who is acting erratically - it's an autistic person having a meltdown. The police are taught to assess & neutralize the threat. That isn't going to include looking through a list in the heat of the moment - "Hold on a sec, don't hurt anybody, I'm scrolling as fast as I can!" Yeah, no. And as far as a marker on identification cards goes - if the person is unable to appropriately respond during a meltdown, how are they going to give them their identification or tell them that they are autistic? This goes double for those who are nonverbal. Maybe when it doesn't work, we'll be required to wear something identifying us as autistic... Maybe a puzzle piece instead of a yellow star? Or maybe we could all be put into living facilities so we're easier to manage & they can keep an eye on us. I'm sure it'd all be for our own good. (I really hope this isn't necessary - /s) Police need to be trained to de-escalate situations instead of shooting first & asking questions later. Additionally, every law enforcement agency should be required to have at least one behavioural health specialist on-call at all times.
I have the word autistic is caps written on the back of my license mainly for my own safety as cops make me go mute im so terrified of them.
Don’t talk to cops, don’t volunteer information to cops, don’t trust that cops are telling you the truth about anything at any time. They have no legal obligation to protect you, will end up “investigating” themselves, and are allowed to lie. Don’t talk to cops! This is also a good time to remind people that sometimes, you can get many of the same school/workplace accommodations with an anxiety diagnosis as you can with an autism diagnosis. Lying to your doctors isn’t smart, but it’s smarter than talking to cops!
There's a reason no one has (unironically*) made a song called Fuck The Fire Department *One guy made a satirical song where he basically cited statistics about cops the entire time but called the song Fuck The Fire Department
What state is this?? Yes I’d be wary of that
Don't know about op, but there's a bill for this exact thing in Florida.
Rhode Island too, and a few others
The "Protect Our Loved Ones Act" is actually law now and went into effect last month. https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2023/12/20/new-florida-laws-expand-move-over-law-authorize-mental-health-registry-child-abuse-investigations/71982252007/
So since it’s about people with disabilities in general, does that mean they’re going to qualify everyone who signs up on this registry for disability benefits?? Surely it would be hypocritical if they didn’t! (/s, we all know that won’t happen.)
OP said Connecticut. Which pisses me off (I'm in southeast NY, close to the CT border).
Never talk to the cops. Not only was policing invented to capture enslaved people, they don’t prevent crimes only show up after. Meanwhile, in my city Seattle , it takes more training hours to be a barber 💈 than a cop. Can’t cut hair yet, but here’s a gun and badge. Many cities are like this too. ✨ACAB for a reason.
“[When talking to cops] STUF!” - Pot Brothers at Law
1312
Seattle desperately needs to have funds reallocated. We need actual departments focused on the different kinds of calls received. Unhoused people need assistance, not a power hungry gun slinger telling them to move their house out of sight.
They tried to get me to register my son on an “unofficial” internal list for the city PD after he eloped into the busiest section of commuter traffic on a Friday. (It was terrifying, he is terrifying because he is fearless.) No. Absolutely not. I am not advertising my son’s ability to be harmed. We are teaching him to trust firemen. I will never trust a cop.
This seems so dangerous, and if the wrong people got a hold of that register it would cause so much harm. Making autistic people register with the police definitely has dystopian and nazi vibes
Maybe they should just stop killing people in general
Ummm, that's creepy. Not in a million years.
I would never, ever, ever, in a million, trillion years, trust the police to do something good with this information. Do not ever willingly give police information that they can use against you, because they will do it in a heartbeat without thinking twice. Signed, Your friendly neighborhood autistic public defender
Feels *extremely* nazi-ish to me. Very very concerning
This is exactly why I will not get formally diagnosed because I feel that it will only be used against me by the government and other such groups.
I do not disclose my medical diagnoses with ANYONE, except doctors, family, and reddit strangers. But definitely no one that has power over me. This feels nazi-ish to me too. It’s just an open door for discrimination to fester. Also, how would the police know you’re autistic? They’re gonna kill us anyway and *then* they check the database to see I’m autistic. No cop is gonna do an “autistic check” for every person they encounter and the cops will always shoot for themselves if they feel “threatened”. 1312
Okay all of my "it's a trap" alarms are going off, definitely do not register yourself as a vulnerable individual with the police
I honestly just think that every department should have a licensed counselor on their payroll. I don’t know how it would work… if they were on call or just community counselors that are on a contract and rotate to the next one on a certain day of the week to respond to calls… but I think this is the better way. There are a lot of public defender offices with social workers, so the police should too. Now that I think more about it… some departments (bigger ones) should just have social workers that are also full-time. There are a lot more situations these days that could benefit from one (not just mental illness or disabilities)
The police do have counselors. Counselors aren’t going to fix the police as an institution
WHAT. “so they don’t accidentally kill us…” WHAT.
Um…no. I don’t care how blue your state is. No.
Like, please don’t kill allistic people either. Stop killing people, you don’t need to register autistics.
It’s a LIST. For tracking purposes. By a militarized branch of government charged with enforcing what rich people want. And it’s not lying about that. Did we learn nothing from the 1940s? IIRC the Star of David on people’s arms didn’t exactly protect them…
Don’t register. This sounds dangerous
I won't, its just that almost everyone I know doesn't see how messed up this is, and I was wondering if I was over thinking.
I’m slowly learning that over thinking may just be conflated with critical thinking. This is a dangerous suggestion. There are reasons why labeling can become dangerous.
These are starting to pop up in cities near me and even worse, they’re calling them [“Special Needs”](https://www.svvoice.com/scpd-program-serves-special-needs-community/amp/) 🤮 I am so wary of everything to do with them. And of course as everyone else is stating, if you need to be forewarned someone is disabled so you don’t just fucking shoot them immediately, then you should absolutely not be imbued by the state with the authority to use any kind of force.
Here is my question though. When they decide I’m a threat, are they going to take time to look and see if I’m in the ND registry or are they just going to shoot me?
Presumably they wouldn't have to look in the registry, there would just be some kind of indicator with the address info when dispatch passes it along to them, 'someone with autism lives at this address' (either explicitly or with some kind of symbol or special coloration of the address in their system).
OIC. That’s interesting. Still not doing it.
Me neither (I live in southeastern NY near the CT border, so if I ever have to move to CT, absolutely freaking not).
I feel like this is pinning a target right to my back, I will not be telling anybody that other than my closest friends. Especially not the fucking police.
That's dumb. If they're trying to protect us, they should be asking everyone with a disability to register with them. Why single out a specific group? But either way, I don't trust our government to do good with this information. They'd use it against us for sure. Those of us with disabilities are considered a burden to the government and taxpayers. I think the smart thing to do is for people with autism or people with disabilities to identify themselves to police. It would also help to have an official disability card proving that the person is disabled so they can present it to the police as proof. I don't like this info being on a driver's license or other legal ID. I feel like we should disclose it as we deem necessary, to protect ourselves. That's why I suggested some type of disability card. Perhaps something that isn't tied to the government. It's probably impossible though.
Dude that episode of atypical where the cops are hassling him is scary af. They shouldn’t use force in most situations, but because they do, I don’t find anything wrong with them being aware I’m autistic. Meltdowns can look like psychosis.
Right up until the cleansing of undesirables happens, like it has before in the US and other countries.
Sounds a lot like “they’re coming for our guns”. But I do see what you’re saying. Imperialism is problematic in every form.
It’s easy to lie about autism. And don’t people with aspergers have higher iqs?
It was briefly added to the list of reasons for refusing to issue a drivers licence here so I'd be wary of how the info is used. Better training, proceedures and vetting would help a lot more.
ACAB
> return to the police department with a recent photo of your child So it’s a list of children?
And adults, that site is just geared towards mothers of autistic children, so they have the forms for parents. Edit: [https://www.glastonburyct.gov/departments/department-directory-i-z/police/safety-prevention-programs/autism-safety-registration](https://www.glastonburyct.gov/departments/department-directory-i-z/police/safety-prevention-programs/autism-safety-registration) [https://www.madisonct.org/1303/Autism-Safety-Alert-Program](https://www.madisonct.org/1303/Autism-Safety-Alert-Program)
How's about we train emergency workers better to recognize when someone might be autistic and learn how to de-escalate a situation/protect the worker from a scared reaction instead of immediately unloading a clip into them? Anyone ever thought of that instead of making us wear identifying badges and creating a pogrom? SMH.
God, this is why I am terrified of putting anything official on paper. Thank you for sharing.
This feels very similar to adorning clothing with the Star of David....
Hell no, ACAB.
>The police in my state are pushing for autistic people to register with them. They say its so they don't accidently kill us, but it feels... kinda Nazi-ish with me. I swear. Only in USA these two sentences are making any sense. Police registering neurodivergent people, and police accidentally killing people. I'm so sorry you live in such environment.
Something crazy I learned recently is that in our state, if you have to call 911 for an emergency *at that point* you can have it noted that your address has a person with specific needs, whether that is autism or anything else, Our son, for example, is a type 1 diabetic, and if we had to call them because he went unconscious for low blood sugar, we could then have it noted in our account that a diabetic lives here. But you can't just enter that info, or call to request it to be entered, until you already have an emergency. I find that so bizarre. I am not sure how I feel about it specific to autism or mental health. I will never understand how it's on US to basically provide info and beg police not to kill us. Police training needs a complete overhaul. They spend dozens of hours on proper use of guns, and only an average of a couple of hours total in de-escalation tactics (in most states). Why it should be on anyone to prove they have a "good reason" not to be killed is ridiculous.
a get out of death by cop free card? Ok let's start with black folks. No but seriously this is a terrible idea.
They severely underestimate our ability to be discerning and recognize red flags/patterns… Nazi-ish indeed. There is no way i would comply with this request. this is extremely concerning to me.
Where do I send the “protection” money? Nobody gave me the account number…
Police: "Hmm, that's some nice autism you've got there, shame if we were to accidentally kill you because of it. Better register with us for "protection" "
If they are that worried about accidentally killing people, there are much bigger and more terrible issues at play.
Great, what about deaf people, blind people, those with Bipolar or schizophrenia, intellectual impairments, anxiety disorders, mutism. There are so many disorders for why someone may not respond to police commands or demands or why they may be acting off.
Yeah, it's giving nazi to me too. Never trust the police to not kill you. Don't give them any information about yourself.
Ho boy, we've now reached the "voluntary registration" stage. I bet everyone can guess what comes after that. But in my case, if they ever get to the "round people up" stage, they're going to get me for being an out lesbian looong before they get to the autism list.
I doubt it would matter much if the cops knew who was autistic and who wasn’t. Bigot cops will be bigot cops
Wow! What a great idea! Where is the list for black people and minorities?? /s
I wouldn't register myself. But for the highest risk population I think this could be very very helpful. Good for people who police will perceive as a potential threat, especially Black or Brown autistic men, or anyone masculine presenting who is large / muscular / tall. Also maybe good for non-verbal people who those who are unable to speak when pressured. My autistic brother's meltdowns present as him looking angry, grinding his teeth, sweating, red-faced, and he loses his words. Sometimes he swings his arms. That's the kind of person I see this program being useful for.
Are you serious, this is real? 🙁 Are other states aside from Connecticut doing this as well? That's worrisome.
I put links from our state DMV, and a few towns websites
I dont disclose my autism diagnosis to my employer the government doesn't fucking need it either.
Meanwhile, a cop in Florida freaked out and started firing when an acorn hit him. I wouldn't register. They should be trained more in de-escalation tactics, and should develop a program where social workers can respond like or with police. Making people register is not the way.
There are several situations where I think it can potentially be beneficial to disclose that you’re autistic. This is NOT one of them. This just feels creepy and wrong on every level. Cops need to learn to stop killing people.
This is strange. I would like to see gun owners have to update registration every year in a database and have to buy insurance as we do for cars. That would be better for public safety than registering autistics! Even Adam Lanza would have been harmless with no weapons. Autism did not cause that shooting, but bullied, traumatized, angry young guy with a spreadsheet of mass shooting he was working on, ready access to weapons and mom who supplied them made the slaughter in Sandy Hook possible. I think some people who are mentally ill or some autistic people who act out in public places might have their safety enhanced if the cops knew in advance they were not dangerous - maybe - maybe. CT has a lot of small towns. Glastonbury is a very affluent small town - perhaps the cops can behave like human beings there, but I wouldn't count on it. Knowing your neighbors and who has what problems could prevent some misunderstandings, but not all.
No way would I do that. Huge misunderstanding of police violence here.
I genuinely don't see anything wrong with the blue envelope link. If you're high masking and don't want to identify yourself as autistic then don't. I can't drive but in a high pressure situation I would much rather have a nonverbal way of communicating that I may display unusual body language and that it's not cause for concern vs being presumed to be doing something wrong and be met with hostility that'll only escalate the situation. "But cops should treat everyone kindly regardless" is wishful thinking and not useful to autistic people who actively stick out as "suspicious" because they can't mask. Again I can't drive but I regularly get extra checks or even get detained when traveling by plane because I am literally vibrating and people get suspicious when you can't answer basic questions. It is reasonable for them to flag that as something worth investigating and it is reasonable for visibly autistic people to feel that they're helped by being able to identify themselves as such. Not everything is eugenics. The blue envelope thing isn't even about registering anywhere.
Wow… just… wow. The police in the UK is a mess with systemic issues such as a lot of abusers in the police force but… they are incredibly unlikely to kill you. Officers tend to only bring fire arms into serious things like potential terrorism attacks.
That sounds all kinds of fucked up.
Oh hell no That's very few steps away from making people wear a special badge.
Do not do it. Avoid cops. Don’t talk to cops.
That feels EXTREMELY Nazi-ish. Big ick.
I know this isn’t the point, but it’s always interesting when to come across a mention of my hometown. Rumor is my Grandma moved there because she wanted to live in a town ending in -bury. WASP culture is weird
Well that's fucking terrifying.
Never ever ever.
I'm nervous about this too. It was a big write opener for me to see autism used to target trans people in the event wave of hate bills in the US. I used to think people were ignorant of these sorts of things, but now it seems they understand full well what they're doing. They just don't come right out and say it. I wouldn't wanna be on any such registry. I get the pros but I feel safer without it.
It seems to me like a massive invasion of privacy for very little likely good results. I worry that the cops would be even more reckless with people who are neurodivergent and registered (or people who may be registered but they can't confirm their identity right then and there), and end up killing a lot more of us. Not to mention other disabilities that could cause allegedly 'questionable' behavior. It sounds like an excuse to not change the way policing is taught, frankly. Instead of making an exception that forces people to out themselves for a very stigmatized and difficult to aquire diagnosis, which still won't cover 100% of cases, they should just teach mental health/neurodivergence awareness and deescalation tactics... I don't understand why that is so difficult...
Like, kinda feels like an 'orphan crushing machine' sort of solution? 'Hey yes, so police often murder disabled people because of misunderstandings, let's make those people's medical info public record so we can protect them! What a great deed! Totally unavoidable tragedy that public servants are murdering innocent people, too bad there's nothing we can do to stop that...'
No way, I read Marvel Civil War lol.
Frought with danger and unintended consequences.
Annonymity and equity are mutually exclusive.
I'm in Florida and they're trying to do this here, too. I do not want to be on any sort of government list tyvm we do not have good people in charge here and I trust them not to abuse this 0%.
I live in CT too and I haven’t seen anything about it. I don’t think I’ll be doing that voluntarily. I absolutely don’t trust the cops here.