February 26, 2021 at 1:46 PM
CRANFORD - A forward-thinking police officer, a generous Cranford-based business, and the Police Department’s Community Outreach Unit combined efforts to create and deploy “Sensory Communication Kits” in all primary radio cars in Cranford.
According to the release, Officer John Rattigan, a 16-year veteran of the force and paramedic, saw the value in providing officers with a kit comprised of self-soothing tools, ear protection, eye protection, and whiteboards to be used during crisis situations in which hypo and hyper-sensitivities may affect an officer’s interaction with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). After he assembled a prototype and pitched the idea to the organization, the Cranford Police Department created an additional seven kits to outfit police vehicles in the Patrol Division, Juvenile Bureau and Community Outreach Unit. One kit will also be housed inside police headquarters.