How do we safe when dealing with police?

Post Reply New Topic

Stop sterotyping people. "The police" doesn't mean anything. Yes SOME police officers are jerk offs and should be executed in the streets, but the VAST MAJORITY are normal people.
People with Aspergers should deal with the police exactly how everyone else does, avoid them if you can.
If you can't, know your rights and cooperate as much as you need to. NEVER DISOBEY A DIRECT ORDER FROM A POLICE OFFICER
ITS AGAINST THE LAW!!
If you feel that your rights are being violated hire an attorney and get lots o' $$$$$$$$

Do you think it is possible police negatively stereotype people on the spectrum and treat them with less respect and credibility than neurotypicals?

To get a sense of the daily experience of police officers, pick a city and listen to the live police radio for a couple of hours here:

http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/

If you encounter a police officer who doesn't know you, keep in mind several possibilities. For example, 15 minutes earlier, he may have received a bulletin about an armed suspect and that suspect may coincidentally look like you. You may be in a car that fits the description of one just reported stolen. That officer may have been assaulted by a drug dealer the day before on the next block over, and so is on high alert in your neighborhood. Etc.

Attitudes of police to disability:

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/do ... 1&type=pdf

I don't think we were stereotyping anybody. We were relating personal experiences with the police. Some folks had better experiences than others. I did know some police that were decent people when I worked as a clerk in a police department, and they just seemed like regular folks. I know about obeying police, not making threatening moves, being polite, etc. but I wonder how many are trained to deal with an autistic person in meltdowns like mine--loud crying, screaming, self injury, inability to speak, lack of eye contact. I probably would look like I'm on drugs, and might give them the wrong idea. I'm looking for constructive ideas on how to stay safe or educate the police in this thread, not to get flip answers or go hatin' on the fuzz.

I've thought about getting together with my local ASAN chapter and maybe doing some sort of educational get-together with our local police, to tell them what autistic people think like, what their challenges are, and ascertain whether the police go through training to deal with people with mental disability. (e.g., don't go in all shouting and guns waving around, use short simple sentences, calm tone of voice) Maybe some parents of autistic children could come along to give their perspective on more severely affected kids. Autistic people with intellectual impairment/low IQ are especially at risk--running away from police in fear, not understanding instructions, inadvertently threatening body language, wandering, being tricked into confessing to things they didn't do.

Good article. I definitely did see the Warrior Mindset and cynicism in the police department I worked at (and it wasn't even a really bad part of town). There was also a bit of bunker mentality--going out on calls but I didn't get the sense that they really knew the neighborhood. I can understand their fears about the dangerous person with a mental problem--those are probably the worst to deal with because the person doesn't have the predictable motivations and actions that most people do. This could just be someone with dementia, a bipolar who needs to take her meds and is having a big cry (just had a short meltdown because I forgot mine, ugh), or someone about to slash their throat open because they think they are demons.

1. My landlord is a former Baltimore City policeman injured in the line of duty. He is now a PI in FL. I told him when I first moved into his town home, I was on the spectrum, and pretty much stay to myself. He has no problem with, as long as 1. My scripts are legit (he's seen the bottle I store my used syringes and pen needles, as well as the unopened insulin vials in the refrigerator plus all my meds and supplements I take. His attitude is, as long as I clean up after myself, pay my rent on time, and don't cause any drama, there won't be any problems. The neighbors know I'm on the spectrum (and one of them is a buddy of his from the Baltimore narc squad).

2. One of my new housemates is a newly minted PA State Trooper. He just found out I'm on the spectrum after one of my other housemates told him about me, and how the jackass in the den was getting abusive with me. When he's home, he keeps a close eye on the jackass in the den for any kind of abuse toward me. (As an aside, said jackass finally moved out yesterday afternoon. Had I known then what I know now, his fellow officers would have been paying a visit a lot earlier, since this jackass was 1) homosexual and 2) a paedophile (he was porking 12-16 year old boys in his room. To make it even worse, I was transporting these kids back here so he could get his jollies, and I DIDN'T KNOW IT!! !! !! !! !! !! !! ! Had I known he was doing that, I would have gone after him with a sledge hammer that is sitting in the garage, after calling the police.

Excuse me while I go puke my guts out again...

We have certainly seen a variety of responses to this question so far. It seems like for those who have more classical autism features, such as nonverbal, there are different strategies than for those in the more typical Asperger's. Myself, in a crisis situation I am usually "cool" and can speak, convey respect, and provide information as requested, etc., but then I have a long time to calm down, hours to days depending on the situation.

Stay well, everyone.

I disagree with that. They serve a valuable purpose. However, I do not know what cop I'm dealing with and therefore will do what they ask, in the most polite manner possible. I may have to look into the medic alert bracelet though.

^ That's a other thing. You do not have to do everything a cop tells you to do. The law is very clear about what police are and are not allowed to demand of the public. But people's ignorance (not fingerpointing here) makes them believe they must obey every word given to them by police, and some police rely on that ignorance and do not take kindly to people who know the law and know what police are, and are NOT, entitled to ask or command.
If a cop is asking you questions or giving you directions outside their powers by law, you have every right to refuse.

I was waiting for someone to go there. As I said, I have had a lot of experience with police, and actually no, in my experience the "vast majority" of police are not decent people. I don't believe in violence against anyone so would certainly not support executing police - my point was they should be avoided, and people should know the law enough to know that they only have to obey lawful directions within police power, and not blindly obey every cop who tells you to do anything.
Edited - grrrrr autocorrect!

Speaking for myself, I never said, "have to do everything a cop tells you to do." I said that I do what they tell me and I will advise doing the same. Get the wrong cop and whether his orders are lawful or not doesn't matter if you're shot or worse.

Live to fight the BS in court.

I feel pretty safe when dealing with the Police. I've got an autism alert card in my purse which I can show to Police or to doctors at the hospital if I'm getting to the point where I'm not coping very well. This is really helpful and gives advice to law enforcement professionals and others about how to help me help them. That said, in the UK, I think you have to really be trying to deliberately do the wrong thing to get shot. There just isn't that kind of fear here at all.

When I have interacted with the Police it's usually turned out OK. I think my autism didn't help matters as I wasn't diagnosed when these things happened so I wasn't aware that I had significant communication issues but it was all OK in the end.

The closest I ever came to being in real trouble was when a woman had apparently stabbed her boyfriend somewhere in the local area and I was out for a walk at the same time. The first I knew of it was when a police car drove really slowly by me as I walked on the footpath next to the road. Then he turned around and did it again. After the third time he drove slowly by me I ran away when he was turning around. It was dark and he was alone in the car and I though he was doing some kind of stalking behaviour but I was wrong - apparently my description was close to their suspect's description so he was seeing if I was the criminal who'd stabbed her boyfriend. When I ran away I was cornered in the swimming pool carpark by three squad cars. They shone their headlights on me and shouted at me to stand still. They could see me but all I could see was their lights. Fortunately my natural way of being is to do what I'm told. I like to be told what to do and to do it exactly like I'm asked - it's my way of managing. So I did stand still. I didn't get shot or hurt - they searched me and then checked my identity. Once they knew I wasn't their suspect they gave me a lift home because I was shaking and scared and couldn't talk. I thought they dealt with it really well - after all they were trying to catch someone who had tried to seriously hurt someone else.

I guess even here in England, if I hadn't done what I was told they could have tazered me because the person they were looking for may well have had a knife. I think I was pretty lucky that my natural response is to do what I'm told because at the time I had a serious heart arrythmia and an electric shock could have put me into an unrecoverable VF.

It does make me wonder though what would have happened if I didn't have a naturally compliant personality. Say I had ASD with oppositional defiant disorder? That must be really challenging for the person with the disorder and for the Police trying to deal with someone who struggles in that way.


The only other things I've noticed with the Police is that:
(1) They seem to expect people to lie. Part of the way my autism works is that I find lying very difficult and almost never attempt it. For me, lies, (from anyone, including me) feel like someone's bending reality and it makes me feel sick. So I habitually tell the exact truth. People who know me are aware of this but the Police meet so many liars that I think they mostly don't believe anyone. This really shocked me when I first met with them. I was upset that they didn't know I always tell the truth.

(2) British Police can be very sarcastic and if you don't know they are being sarcastic and answer normally they can get cross. I don't get this problem anymore because if they start to say I'm being rude when I'm trying my best to be polite I show them my alert card and apologise for anything I've done wrong. This really helps.

By not dealing with the police, that is really the only fool proof safe way to deal with the police....stay away from them.

But that aside when interacting with them(because they came to you) I suppose be as docile as possible without totally letting them sh*t on your rights without challenge, not that there aren't occasions they would sh*t on your rights anyways.

This relates to what I said earlier about being cool in a crisis, upset after.

I got stopped for speeding, and didn't even realize I had been. It was a very straight stretch of highway, the weather was perfect, and there was no other traffic. I was going at what seemed a safe speed for the situation, without even being aware of the numerical rate I was going. The cop was very nice and let me off with a warning. Which would make most people happy.

After he left I pulled ahead a little ways and then pulled over to the shoulder and had a good cry. Then I continued driving to work, crying most of the way.

The best way to deal with the wallopers is to keep your cool - yes sir no sir three bags full sir. Remember police are the school yard bullies all grown up. They do not have the power to convict you, only charge you. You get to have your say when you front the magistrate. Do not say anything at interview. You do not have to answer any questions they put to you. As you know you have difficulty interpreting social interaction, and cops have had lessons in tricking you into saying stuff, tell them you do not understand and that you are on the spectrum, otherwise "NO COMMENT". remember they are always trying to trick you

Best thing as someone else said - is do your best to keep them out of your life.

I don't know 2what it's like in USA, but here there is a common saying that it is easier to get off a murder charge than a speeding fine - it all takes money to the right people - so if you don't have the money, you got to be careful what you do.

I think the original question was about meltdowns in public - I would suggest that the usual attitude of the police would be to shoot or zap you first and ask questions later - maybe have a handy sign to show them, but I don't think it would work - wallopers are not known for their intelligence.

I got my med alert bracelet thru Amazon.com, but ebay and the source posted on page 1 are similar. Mine is a fabric sports band with velcro closure. Easy to take on and off like for showering or going in my hot tub where I dont want to get it wet. Mine is engraved with the med alert cross, Autism, and "see wallet card" on its face. The lettering isnt colored, just engraved in to the metal face plate. I have thought about using my model train paint to "inlay" the engraving with colors. My wallet card has phone numbers for my wife and treating therapist, my alergies to bee stings and asprin, and that I have asthma. While my formal dx is Aspergers, when under stress, I can sometimes become almost non-verbal. Kind of a brain lockup. I also try to avoid the police if at all possible, but do enjoy listening to thier radio communications over my scanning radio at home. Dodger