Marion County prosecutors, Arc of Indiana outline "Blue Envelope" to ease police stops for drivers with disabilities

Indianapolis — The Marion County Prosecutor's Office on Wednesday presented the Blue Envelope program to attendees of the Community Justice Academy, describing a visor-mounted folder designed to improve communication and safety during traffic stops involving drivers with disabilities.

Prosecutor Ryan Meares opened the session by noting the program responds to concerns from families and advocates that sensory or communication differences can be mistaken for uncooperative or intoxicated behavior during police stops. "We have to make sure law enforcement and the criminal justice system does a good job of establishing and building trust with people in our community," Meares said (00:01:27).

Natalie Miller, constituent service coordinator and cofounder/director of the Different Not Less initiative at the Marion County Prosecutor's Office, said the Blue Envelope clips to a vehicle visor and contains essentials such as registration and a short note for officers that explains the driver's disability and how the driver may react under stress. "It not only provides a place to keep essential documents... but also has language on it communicating directly to the officer: 'This person has a disability and may not react to x, y, and z the way you might expect,'" Miller said (00:43:22).

Miller and Carly…