Handle with Care Vulnerable Person Registry

Colonie Police Department created the Handle with Care vulnerable person registry to aid police officers during interactions with individuals with mental illness or diseases that affect their cognitive ability and communication. The registry uses voluntarily provided information and existing computer systems to improve the quality of police response to calls involving vulnerable populations.

• Agency: Colonie Police Department
   
• Location: Colonie, N.Y.
   
• Department size: Large (> 50 officers)
   
• Practice started: May 2023
   
• Active

Effective communication is key to quality police responses. Calls involving individuals with mental illness or diseases that affect cognitive ability or communication create unique situations for responding officers. Responding officers may not always have vital information about the vulnerable person and the presence or absence of this information can affect a response. When police officers can quickly obtain relevant details about the person, such as what they look like, the locations they frequent, and specific de-escalation information, they can improve the interaction and form the foundation for successful mediation. The Colonie Police Department sought a streamlined method of providing such crucial information to responding officers by creating the Handle with Care registry.

Program Description

Colonie Police Department created the Handle with Care vulnerable person registry to aid police officers in responding to 9-1-1 calls for people with mental illness, disabilities, autism, Alzheimer’s, or any condition that may require mental health assistance or special aid.

The Handle with Care registry contains vital information about individuals who live in the town and may benefit from special assistance during a police response. All registry information is voluntarily submitted, and typically provided by loved ones and caregivers of those in need. Individuals also can enter their own information into the registry, though this is not typical. Handle with Care registry entries include name, address, date of birth, and physical appearance descriptors. Photos, preferred names, triggers, calming methods, and specific descriptions of needs also can be uploaded.

Colonie Police Department uses their existing software and technology to store and quickly retrieve information, eliminating the need for additional officer training beyond an overview of the registry. Registry information is integrated with the department’s Be on the Look Out (BOLO) files, Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). BOLO files provide location and person-level information that are accessible to officers on patrol, and registry data are synced into CAD and GIS systems. GIS adds an interactive map layer to police location systems that allows officers to select a location pin and view a complete Handle with Care entry directly from their screen. The GIS map layer always is available for viewing, and prompts will alert the officer if there is a pin near their current location. Specified pins on the map can indicate where a person lives, goes to school, or frequents. The registry is most useful when information is tied to locations and addresses.

During an active response, a caller/caregiver can indicate that the individual is in the Handle with Care registry to 9-1-1 dispatchers. Registry information is then relayed via phone, computer, or police scanner to responding officer(s). Any call dispatched to a registrant’s residence also will alert the dispatcher and responding officer to the information in the registry. If an officer searches the subject’s name during a response, the corresponding BOLO file would alert responding officers to investigate the registry.

To enroll new registrants, officers most often work directly with families they think would benefit. Police officers offer to enroll individuals on-scene during a response and work with families to complete the registry form electronically. There is no specific medical information or diagnosis required for registry entry. Colonie Police Department’s Community Services Unit requests registry updates every six months from families of registrants. At any time, individuals and their families may update their registry entry and withdraw their information upon request.

Dispatch notes repeat calls for emotionally distressed persons and cross-checks with the registry. If an individual is not included, dispatch will share this information with officers for their next interaction. The department posts Facebook reminders about the registry three times per year, but social media does not drive enrollment as well as direct officer interaction. About 90 registry entries exist as of July 2024.

Funding

Colonie Police Department administers the Handle with Care registry using existing computer software and funds. Community members voluntarily provide information that make up the program database. No additional funds are needed.

Relevant Partnerships

The Colonie Police Department worked closely with the National Alliance on Mental Illness - New York State (NAMI-NYS), as well as local schools and autism groups that share information about the program. The partnership with NAMI-NYS remains helpful for obtaining potential registrants. These partnerships have enabled the registry to gain signups and allow community members to share their experiences.

Supportive Research

Diseases and mental illness can affect the way that individuals behave and interact with others, including police. Individuals with Alzheimer’s, some mental illnesses, and other conditions are prone to wander. The Alzheimer’s Association found that six in 10 individuals with dementia will wander at least once. An FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin indicates that approximately half of children with autism display wandering behavior.

In 2017, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) published a Guide to Law Enforcement on Voluntary Registry programs for Vulnerable Populations emphasizing how the growing aging population needs assistance not previously considered on a wide scale. Average search and rescue costs roughly $13,500 per effort, but information existing in a registry can help reduce search time and resources.

The FBI’s Behavioral Change Stairway Model demonstrates that empathy and rapport are crucial to influencing outcomes, and learning how to best understand someone in need is a key part of this framework. Handle with Care leverages this concept into a beneficial registry.

These resources suggest that by enabling faster and more informed responses, vulnerable person registries can be instrumental during critical situations, potentially saving lives.

Critical Success Factors

• Collaborate with various partners who can play a crucial role in the successful launch and sustainability of a vulnerable person registry. Partnerships obtain program support and advertise the registry through word of mouth.
   
• Communicate the effort to the community to meet their needs. This helps build their trust and promote the vulnerable person registry as a valuable resource.
   
• Invest time in development. Take a methodical approach to ensure quality over quickness helps the process of building the registry.
   
• Integrate registry data with existing computer systems to make the process simpler. This eliminates the need to train staff on any new systems, makes internal support easier, and allows for faster information retrieval.

Lessons Learned

• Be mindful that some groups or individuals may be hesitant to support the implementation of a vulnerable person registry. Working with stakeholders to prepare for reluctance can ease support efforts from these populations.
   
• Consider what would make public response easier or more helpful from the beginning. For example, having officers walk through program sign-up with participants has most effectively obtained registrants.
   
• Include 9-1-1 dispatchers in the process of building the registry. Their input offers valuable perspective and will assist in responses.

A Capital Region television station aired a story about the Handle with Care registry, and the initiative also was featured in Police Chief Magazine, a publication of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

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Published 08/2024