By admin 
The Sacramento Sheriff’s Office was sharply criticized on Tuesday for not doing more to improve its interactions with people on the autism spectrum.
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While the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments of Sacramento, Folsom, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove and Galt are all participating in a specialized program that teaches officers how to better communicate with neurodivergent drivers, Sacramento Sheriff’s has not.
Called the Blue Envelope Program, it helps drivers with autism, dementia, anxiety, developmental disabilities, as well as hearing and communication disabilities to safely communicate with law enforcement.
Almost 20% of youths with autism spectrum disorder have been stopped by police and nearly 20% of adults with the disorder have been arrested, according to research by Indiana University. “When autistic individuals engage with the criminal justice system, their social communication styles can lead to negative perceptions and harsher penalties,” the Indiana University report said.
Many law enforcement agencies nationwide have embraced Blue Envelope since its 2020 creation, amid increased autism awareness. But the largest law enforcement agency in Sacramento County has not, which became an issue at Tuesday’s supervisors meeting.
“I mean, Galt PD has (the Blue Envelope Program), for God’s sake,” said Supervisor Patrick Kennedy. “The fact that we are one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the U.S., and we can’t come up with something to save lives just blows me away.”
Representatives of the Sheriff’s Office were not present when supervisors discussed the Blue Envelope Program. Sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Edward Igoe did not respond to a request for comment.
States such as Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Illinois have formally adopted statewide versions of the Blue Envelope Program or support local agency participation. In California, SB. 664 sought to take the Blue Envelope Program statewide but failed. Despite this, Sheriff’s offices in San Diego and San Bernardino counties have adopted versions of the program, according to the California Department of Developmental Services.
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Generally, participating law enforcement agencies train officers to communicate with neurodivergent people who keep their licenses and vehicle registrations in blue envelopes. Officers learn to lower the volume on their radios, allow extra time for responses and speak in a quieter voice.
Roughly 13% of Sacramento County residents, about 212,000 people, have a disability, according to a September news release from the Sacramento County Sheriff Community Review Commission.
“The Sheriff’s Office has expressed support for the program in concept but advised that implementation has been deferred because funding has not been identified,” the commission news release said.
During the meeting, Kennedy said he has questions about the Sheriff’s Office statements about the funding. He asked if a Sheriff’s Office representative was present at Tuesday’s meeting for the discussion. There was not.
Supervisor Rich Desmond, who served many years in the California Highway Patrol, said he would like to speak to the Sheriff’s Office about the issue
CHP is an active partner in the Placer County Blue Envelope Program, said Paul Curtis of the community review commission.
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