At least it’s progress. Maryland has announced a pilot program to train officers in different police departments in encounters with people with developmental disabilities. The Baltimore Sun reports:
The 11 recruits will be the first police class in Howard County to take the four-hour training on intellectual and developmental disabilities after it became a requirement for recruits across Maryland.
Some of the 11 recruits had their first encounters with autism Sunday evening, during a pool party with the Howard County Autism Society. The recruits served pizza poolside at Life Time Athletic in Columbia. About 40 families arrived.
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Also last year, the General Assembly passed legislation to fund an alliance within the state Department of Disabilities to recruit and train disabled people. They will then help train police.
This is at least a step forward for police across Maryland, although it comes after Robert "Ethan" Saylor, a man with Down Syndrome, died in Frederick County police custody in 2013. Saylor refused to leave a movie theater after attending with an aide, and died from asphyxia brought on by distress after officers showed up to the scene and put him in handcuffs. A grand jury cleared the officers of all wrongdoing.
This training program is one of then-Gov. Martin O’Malley’s promises in the wake of that incident. The Baltimore Sun reports:
Eight months after Saylor's death, then-Gov. Martin O'Malley met with his family and pledged to improve police training. He formed a commission that recommended all new recruits be trained on intellectual and development disabilities. The Maryland Police Training Commission adopted the recommendation last year.
Also last year, the General Assembly passed legislation to fund an alliance within the state Department of Disabilities to recruit and train disabled people. They will then help train police.
Hopefully, this move toward treating people with developmental disabilities with respect and humanity will open the door for better police interactions for all Maryland residents.