RBPD partners on autism awareness
Ronda and Andy Kopito accept a $1,500 donation from the Redondo Beach Police Department on behalf of Autism Society of Los Angeles, as police and supporters look on. Photo
Redondo Beach Police donated $1,500 to The Autism Society of Los Angeles this week, shortly after recognizing April as Autism Awareness Month. To raise the money, the department sold patches bearing the colorful jigsaw pattern adopted as a symbol of the often-misunderstood cognitive disorder that is increasingly diagnosed in children nationwide.
“We did this to show our community’s support — many Redondo Beach families are impacted by autism,” said RBPD Captain Jon Naylor.
Autism Spectrum Disorder affects social interaction and communication among those it affects, though its symptoms vary in severity. A 2018 report by the Center for Disease Control estimates that one in 59 children nationwide has an autism diagnosis, based on an 11 state survey.
The fundraiser was spurred by the department’s Community Engagement Group, a coalition of residents and stakeholders that meets with department leaders quarterly to discuss ways in which RBPD can form stronger bonds between the department and the residents it seeks to protect.
“To me, it means we’re implementing our vision: ‘We are the community, leading the way in law enforcement.’ Out of that was born this idea for a community engagement board,” said Redondo Beach Police Chief Keith Kauffman. “The police department is just the conduit for this, and it’s actually the community helping the community, which is really really cool — that’s what I’m most proud of.”
Many board members in attendance particularly commended fellow member Ines Mauersberg, a relatively new resident to Redondo Beach who joined after bringing her son Ian to the station to familiarize him with RBPD officers.
“Captain Naylor invited me to be part of the community engagement board…in our case, we’re very passionate about the special needs community,” Mauersberg said.
“We wanted to do something for April that did a few things, bringing awareness to autism, but also to do something that provided education to police officers on autism and the characteristics of people who have autism,” Naylor said.
The board did just that, helping to create an informational bulletin on what officers can expect when dealing with individuals with autism. They also helped the department develop the latest in what’s become a series of specialized uniform patches, designed to raise awareness. Those patches, released in two batches, allowed the department to make its donation to Autism Society of Los Angeles.
“[ASLA] has a long history of working with law enforcement — we have a large program with LAPD, and thousands of officers receiving training on autism and people with cognitive disabilities,” said Andy Kopito, President of the Board for Autism Society of Los Angeles. Though Redondo Beach already has comprehensive training in place, ASLA is looking to continue to spread awareness and programs to public safety agencies across the South Bay and Los Angeles.
“We go through training for not just autism, but other types of disabilities. Autism is hard to detect, and sometimes will come off as pure violence, so it’s important for officers to know the signs,” Kauffman said. “Out of this program with the patch, we’ve been able to renew our autism training programs, and a way for us to bring constant awareness to our officers.”
Candace Springer is a member of the Community Engagement Board, and the mother to a six-year-old boy who has been diagnosed with autism.
“It brings a comfort to me to know that he’s not labeled, but that he’s a part of the community and that they’re sensitive to his needs,” Springer said. “They’re aware that these are the people of their community…to see them grow up and know that they’re welcomed.”