Brown Deer Police offer online form to better respond to special needs calls

Brown Deer Police officers know that not every resident or visitor is the same. If they are called to help you, their Special Needs Registry gives them important information on how best to respond.

“Most calls we deal with people are in crisis and we don’t necessarily know why," Brown Deer Police Officer Lea Olsen said.

And when the “why” is unknown, the challenge for police officers becomes “how” to calm the person and resolve the issue.

Now, the department has a new way to find answers.

“The form, it just starts out with basic information, who they are, where they live,” Olsen explained.

The registry is the department's user-friendly, online database, which Olsen created.

“It is all confidential and voluntary," she said.

It gives 911 dispatchers a person’s mental health status, or any other conditions, which they will relay to first responders as they head to a scene.

“For example, if a kid’s autistic and is triggered by lights and sirens we can make sure we have those off when we’re at least close to the house," she said.

Users can upload photos of the person, explain their primary diagnosis or disability and even list familiar places if the person goes missing.

The point is to have safer resolutions and de-escalation of potentially dangerous situations.

“It’s going to end our call a lot faster and get them in a calmer state because we might frighten them so the sooner we can bring them down and get it resolved it’s safer for everybody involved.

The residents are encouraged to sign up for the registry, you don't have to live in Brown Deer to be on it. Olsen said it is also for those who frequent the area.

And if for any reason you want your information off the list just call the police department.

For a link to sign up for the Special Needs Registry, click here.