Police Add Sensory Carter Kits in Delmar

Bethlehem Police started carrying Carter Kits on April 22 to help autistic people and others handle sensory overload during emergency calls. (townofbethlehem.org) The Town of Bethlehem said the department bought two kits first and assigned them to school resource officers during their daily work. (townofbethlehem.org) NEWS10 reported the bags include a weighted blanket, noise-canceling headphones, fidget toys, sunglasses, and a non-verbal cue card. (news10.com) Police said those items are meant to calm, focus, and comfort people during loud, chaotic encounters that can make communication harder. (townofbethlehem.org) (carterkits.org) Chief Gina Cocchiara said the program fits the department’s push for community-focused policing and better service for residents with different needs. (townofbethlehem.org) The idea came after the Slingerlands Fire Department began using the same kits, a local example Bethlehem police cited when announcing the rollout. (townofbethlehem.org) (news10.com) Bethlehem plans to place more kits in patrol vehicles in the coming months if funding is available. (townofbethlehem.org) Carter Kits began in Michigan in 2019 after Saginaw Township detective Justin Severs, whose son Carter has autism, pushed for a tool first responders could use on scene. (carterkits.org) (norcocmh.org) The organization says more than 22,000 kits are now in use across 44 states, three Canadian provinces, Bermuda, and the Bahamas. (carterkits.org) In Delmar, the immediate change is smaller: two bags, a local pilot, and officers with one more option before a crisis spirals. (townofbethlehem.org)