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CMA 2020-76

The Manager's report back on the feasibility of purchasing sensory bags for Police vehicles as a pilot program

How it started
Mar 30, 2020 · Submitted by Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager: his response to the Council’s order about the feasibility of purchasing sensory bags for Police vehicles as a pilot program (AR 20-3).
What happened
Mar 30, 2020 · ✅ Adopted: the Council approved it (Order adopted, unanimous · one absent)

Voted yes (8), unanimous

  • Dennis Carlone
  • Patty Nolan
  • Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler
  • Alanna Mallon
  • Marc McGovern
  • Sumbul Siddiqui
  • Timothy J. Toomey
  • Quinton Zondervan

Absent (1)

  • E. Denise Simmons
Roll call of Mar 30, 2020 · from the city’s record · photos: City of Cambridge
Order adopted, 8–0Mar 30, 2020
Referred for reportAR 2020-3Feb 3, 2020
Administration answeredCMA 2020-76Mar 30, 2020 · answered in 56 days

The item's path through the council, every recorded step. How the request pipeline works

The document memo · 1 page
🏛 This item on the city's site📄 Download original PDF
ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO · 125 SIXTH STREET, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02142 · TELEPHONE · [phone removed] · WEB · www.cambridgepolice.org · FACEBOOK · facebook.com/CambridgePolice · TWITTER · twitter.com/CambridgePolice · Louis A. DePasquale · City Manager · Dr. Branville G. Bard, Jr. · Police Commissioner
ToCity Manager, Louis A. DePasquale
FromPolice Commissioner, Branville G. Bard, Jr.
DateMarch 11, 2020

Ref.:

Awaiting Report #20-3, dated January 27, 2020 Re: Purchasing Sensory Bags for Police Vehicles The purpose of this response is to address Awaiting Report #20-3, dated January 27, 2020, whereby the City Manager was requested to confer with the Police Department on determining the feasibility of purchasing sensory bags for police vehicles as a pilot program and report back to the City Council.

We have taken the following measures in response to this order.

The Police Department has ordered fifty (50) sensory “On The Go Bags” containing items that can assist officers during interactions with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The bag contains items such as Hearing Safe Noise Protectors and squeezers. These will assist officers in building trusting relationships and reduce confusion and fear. The kits will primarily stay with the patrol car; however, officers may choose to leave an “On The Go Bag” with the child or adult if they deem it necessary.

Cambridge Police officers currently receive training on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), and in 2019 Autism awareness was included as a component of Annual In- service Training. The Department is constantly engaging training to enhance our understanding of ASD and how specifically the sensory kits can assist them, as we recognize that proper training is paramount to a successful interaction.

The Department will deploy the kits to all marked units (approximately 40 vehicles) as soon as they arrive and will incorporate the sensory kits into future training.

We continue to remain committed to best practices and strategies to achieve positive engagements and public trust between the Department and the community.

I hope you find this response satisfactory, and if there are any additional questions, information needed, or concerns regarding this matter, please let me know.

Sincerely, Dr. Branville, G. Bard, Jr.

Police Commissioner

🗓 The meeting where this was taken up: Mar 30, 2020

↩ Answers awaiting report: Awaiting report 2020 · #3