Police Department
Special Needs Blue Envelope Initiative
In an effort to reduce (hopefully eliminate) negative outcomes when officers conduct traffic stops on drivers who are on the spectrum, the Chester County Police Chiefs Association is sponsoring an effort know as Blue Envelopes.
Sometimes, drivers who are on the spectrum do not respond to the commands of a Law Enforcement Officer in a manner the Officer might expect while they interact during the traffic stop. This has sometimes led to negative or even tragic outcomes for the operator. Drivers on the spectrum may need more time to process the commands of an Officer.
In an effort to prevent these types of negative interactions, the East Coventry Police Department has acquired a number of Blue Envelopes which we will provide to any member of the public who requests one for themselves or for their child who is on the spectrum and has an operator’s license. There are instructions printed on the envelope on the front and on the back, one set for the Officer and one set for the operator.
Inside the envelope should be a copy of the operator’s driver’s license, vehicle registration, insurance card, and emergency contact information. This way, all the operator has to do is hand the Blue Envelope to the Officer and all the documents needed to facilitate the Officer’s investigation are in one place. This reduces and simplifies the obligated actions of the operator while simultaneously notifying the Officer that s/he is interacting with an operator with special needs.