Highland Police Raising Funds For Special Need Kits
The Highland Police Department is in the process of raising funds to equip our patrol vehicles with Special Needs Kits for incidents where our officers will have interactions with individuals who may have Autism or other special needs. These kits include noise canceling headphones, a dry erase board (for communicating with those who may be non-verbal), rubber balls, and various fidget toys, all of which will be contained in a drawstring bag. These bags will be given to the individuals who may find it difficult to concentrate or calm down in stressful situations such as at the scene of car accidents or other emergency situations where the police or other first responders are called to. These kits may be used for both children and adults when the need arises to make the situation more tolerable for those individuals.
Each kit costs approximately $50 and the individual needing the kit will be allowed to keep the kit after the incident is over.
If any individual, business, civic group, social group, fraternal group, or church would like to make a donation to purchase a bag, you may drop off or mail your donations to the Highland Police Department, 3315 Ridge Road, Highland, IN 46322. Please make checks payable to: Highland Police Department Donation Fund, with “Special Needs Kit” in the memo line. Each Special Needs Kit bag will be labeled with the information of the donor if the full amount for the kit is given by that donor.
We would like to thank Crown Point Fire Department Firefighter/Paramedic Matt Kodicek for his help in assisting us in organizing our Special Needs Kit program.
If you have any questions, please contact Commander John Banasiak at 219.838.3184 or via email at jbanasiak@highland.in.gov.
