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Garland Safe at Home registry aims to help responders identify residents with disabilities
Summary
Garland Police described the Safe at Home registry process: applicants speak with a clinician (Katie Gorski) who screens eligibility; approved addresses receive caution notes in dispatch so responding officers and fire personnel see relevant details.
The Garland Police Department described the Safe at Home program as a voluntary registry for residents with cognitive, developmental or behavioral disabilities who might react negatively to flashing lights, sirens or police presence. Baranello said there is no simple application form; residents must call and speak with the department's mental-health clinician, Katie Gorski, who asks symptom and diagnosis questions to determine eligibility.
If approved, staff enter descriptive caution notes tied to the address or the individual so dispatchers and responders see the information on incoming calls. "You have to call and speak to our, our our mental health, clinician, Katie Gorski to see if you qualify," Baranello said. Committee members pressed on whether dispatch has lists of group homes and how the information would be accessed; Baranello said some registration flows exist externally and that she would follow up to confirm dispatch access.
