From the City of Harriman:

Mayor Wayne Best, City Manager Scott Mason, the Harriman City Council, Chief Baron Tapp, and the Harriman Police Department are excited to announce a new partnership with the Blue Envelope Program to provide more effective communication between law enforcement and individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

The program aims to assist law enforcement interactions with individuals on the autism spectrum, reduce anxiety, and promote safer interactions during traffic stops and traffic crashes.

Individuals with autism can come to the Harriman Police Department, where they will be provided a blue envelope. The person can place their driver’s license, vehicle registration, insurance, and any other important documents in the envelope in the event law enforcement makes contact with them.

The envelope has clear instructions for the law enforcement officer that the driver has autism and how the person communicates. By bringing forth this partnership, the Harriman Police Department hopes all interactions with those individuals on the autism spectrum will be less anxiety written and help ease and already tense situation for that person.

The Harriman Police Department will begin distributing the blue envelope program materials on Tuesday, March 25th.