Bristol, UK: The UK National Police Autism Association (NPAA) is today aware of an
incident involving an American Police Officer in Buckeye, Arizona, and an autistic boy.
The video circulating online is distressing to watch and it seems clear the incident stems
from a completely avoidable misunderstanding. While the NPAA cannot comment on
the outcome of any investigation that takes place, it’s obvious that lessons need to be
learned.

NPAA spokesman Adam O’Loughlin commented: “This incident demonstrates the
absolute need for all police services to ensure that their front line officers are sufficiently
trained to recognise the outward traits displayed by many autistic people and to react
appropriately.”

The NPAA works closely with all UK police forces, and we are aware that many frontline
officers have either received autism awareness training or are due to receive training
soon. As a result we are confident that an incident such as this is unlikely to occur in the
UK.

A national police support group has achieved its goal of recruiting champions in every UK police force, a little over 18 months since its launch.

The National Autism Police Association was launched in October 2015 by John Nelson, the NPAA’s Chair and a frontline officer with Thames Valley Police. The NPAA supports police officers, staff and volunteers affected by autism and other ‘neurodiverse’ conditions such as dyspraxia and ADHD, and promotes best practices for working with members of public.

The Association has sought to recruit one or more volunteers in each Force to act as a point of contact for anyone needing advice or signposting around autism and related conditions. With the recent additions of Suffolk and Wiltshire, the NPAA’s team of coordinators now cover all of the UK’s 48 police forces. Local champions are drawn from all ranks and roles, with the team currently including PCSOs through to a Superintendent.

The fact that there are police officers with Asperger syndrome (a form of autism without intellectual impairment) may come as a surprise to the public. Speaking about the Association’s aims, Mr. Nelson said: “There is a growing realisation in the private sector that people with neurodiverse conditions such as autism and dyslexia can bring unique creative and problem-solving skills to the workplace. We believe that the police service needs to embrace neurodiversity in order to meet the challenges of policing in the 21st century, and we are committed to empowering neurodiverse police officers and staff to achieve their full potential.”

The NPAA is supported by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, The College of Policing, the Police Federation of England & Wales, and the National Autistic Society. The Association regularly tweets from “Police Autism UK” (@npaa_uk) on policing and diversity-related topics.