Officer outlines voluntary autism registry, training and canine proposal to Old Saybrook police commission

Officer Mfalme presented a multi-part plan to the Old Saybrook Police Commission aimed at improving how officers respond to residents with autism and other behavioral health conditions.

Speaking to the commission, Officer Mfalme said the department would offer an optional autism and other mental disability registry where caregivers could voluntarily provide identifying information — name, address, date of birth and other descriptors — to help officers tailor responses. “It’s optional for the caregivers and the parents in Old Saybrook to come down to the police department and give us the name, address, date of birth, and other descriptors of their loved ones that are on the spectrum,” he said.

Mfalme framed the registry as a tool to reduce dangerous encounters and speed appropriate responses, citing national prevalence statistics and risk data to justify training and outreach. He also proposed creating a liaison within the department to coordinate mental-health referrals and to work with regional partners such as Blue Bridge and LINK for training and resources.

As part of the initiative, Mfalme described exploring an autism-trained or emotional-support canine to reduce escalation during behavioral incidents. He said many departments obtain such dogs with fundraising and nonprofit support and that the animals can serve both public-facing roles and internal officer support.

Commissioners raised practical questions about privacy, data availability and funding. The Chief and Mfalme emphasized the registry would be voluntary and that they would not seek protected health information in violation of HIPAA; they said the program would rely on parent/guardian opt-in and that data collection would be framed to avoid legal constraints.

On implementation, commissioners asked how to reach families and schools. Mfalme said outreach would go through youth and family services, the special education department and the department’s website and social media. He also suggested inviting an external trainer to run sessions timed with Autism Awareness Month in April.

Funding and logistics were discussed: commissioners and staff suggested using emergency management funds, applying for grants, and partnering with nonprofits to offset costs for training and a canine. Mfalme said some canine programs secure animals and initial support from nonprofit donors and local fundraising.

Next steps the commission discussed included gathering local prevalence data, scheduling regional trainings, inviting community partners and specifying a multi-year training schedule so all officers could be certified over time. The commission did not take formal action on the proposal at the meeting; presenters said they would return with additional details on scope, privacy protections and funding sources.