Effingham Police honor Autism Awareness with special needs training

Jack Krumm
·1 min read

EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WCIA) — April is Autism Awareness Month. In Effingham, police are learning the best ways to interact with those with special needs.

The department launched this specialized instruction through their VirTra training. The system teaches officers signs to look for and what to do when dealing with a person with autism.

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Police Chief Jason McFarland said this helps them to serve the entire community.

“Our officers deal with our community on a daily basis and every member of our community. Those include the special needs. And the more we are able to identify people with those needs,  the better chance we’re going to have for more successful outcome,” he said. “And that’s our ultimate goal.”

The department is also offering free stickers to inform police someone has special needs.

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