Law enforcement and advocates back statewide ‘Blue Envelope’ program to aid autistic residents
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Summary
Lieutenant Richard Como and Representative Campbell told the Joint Judiciary Interim Committee the national Blue Envelope program — decals and dash envelopes carrying critical information — can reduce risky encounters between police and people on the autism spectrum and recommended statewide rollout with training and consistency.
Representative Campbell introduced the national "Blue Envelope" program at the Joint Judiciary Interim Committee and called a law enforcement official online to explain how it can improve interactions with residents on the autism spectrum.
Lieutenant Richard Como (online) said the program combines a visible marker (sticker or decal) with a vehicle-mounted envelope containing emergency contacts, medical information and other critical details to help officers recognize communication or sensory differences during encounters. He said the program supports better training for first responders and can build more positive interactions with autistic people and those with cognitive disabilities.
Representative Campbell said the program provides both practical help (information readily available to officers) and training resources, and she urged consideration of statewide adoption to ensure consistent communication across law enforcement agencies. Committee members asked whether local sheriffs had been consulted; Como said he had not yet sat down with Sheriff Grossnickle but spoke from both professional and parental experience and offered to provide follow-up detail to the committee.
Committee co-chairs did not take immediate action but indicated they will consider the program as an interim topic and expected further staff work if members prioritize it on their ranking sheets.