Connecticut drivers who are on the autism spectrum now have a better way to interact with police if they are pulled over.
The Blue Envelope initiative went into effect at the beginning of the year. It is specifically for drivers who are on the autism spectrum.
“It has the owner-operator’s important papers in one place, so they don’t have to rummage around. They don’t have to stress out. And once we see it’s a blue envelope, we automatically understand that there is somebody on the spectrum and how to deal with them,” said Groton Police Captain Eric Jenkins.
The initiative was developed after a similar project using a green envelope for people with hearing impairments.
“I was on the committee that initially did the hearing impaired ones, and I was also put on the committee that did the blue ones for autism. And they’re very similar. It’s just what it does, it outlines what the driver of the car should do on the front and what the officer should do on the back,” said James Cetran, Wethersfield police chief and past president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association.
Envelopes can be obtained at local police departments or DMV offices.