Commissioner Sini to Announce Expanded Disability Sensitivity Training

8-hour course designed to train officers how to recognize and appropriately respond to people with Autism Spectrum, TMI’s, Alzheimer’s diagnoses- 

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Timothy D. Sini will hold a press conference on September 28, 2016 at Suffolk County Police Headquarters in Yaphank to announce newly expanded diversity sensitivity training that will be offered to police recruits and established police officers.

Historically, recruits would receive two hours of disability awareness training covering four areas of mental disabilities. Starting with the current class of police recruits, the police academy will adopt the Niagara University First Responders Disability Awareness Training, which features eight hours of instruction as well as an increase in the number of topics discussed. The new curriculum will cover a dozen areas of disabilities including ADHD, mental health, Tourette syndrome, learning disabilities, visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, Epilepsy and seizures, Autism spectrum disorders, traumatic brain injuries and dementia/Alzheimer’s. Recruits will also receive education on victimization and person-first language.

According to the United States Department of Justice, persons with mental deficiencies and disabilities are 12 times more likely to be the victims of robbery than the general population and are between four and 10 times more likely to be the target of criminal activity.