CPD Starts Voluntary Special Needs Identification Program

  • Monday, April 12, 2021
Special Needs ID Card - front
Special Needs ID Card - front

The Chattanooga Police Department created a voluntary special needs identification program with assistance from the Chattanooga Autism Center. A CPD Officer learned of the need for the program after reading a social media post from a mother of a child who is autistic. This special needs identification program complements the existing Take Me Home program. 

What is it? 
The CPD Special Needs Identification Registry is an initiative open to all who reside, attend school or are employed in Chattanooga.

The registry was created to help police officers, community members with special needs and their families in the event of a situation which initiates police response. Community members are invited to voluntarily participate by providing vital information regarding a registrant’s special need, emergency contact information and a current photograph in order to be issued an identification card. 

What information is on the identification card? 
Identification cards are printed by the CPD Identification Unit. Each card provides critical information to police/emergency services while respecting the registrant’s privacy. 

Information on the front of the card includes: registrant’s first name, photo, basic instructions for crisis intervention. Information on the back of the card includes: registrant’s full name, CPD address, diagnosis, physician or referring agency, card number and responsible contact name and phone number.

Who can get an identification card?
Registrants must be referred and approved before coming to the Chattanooga Police Services Center to be issued an identification card. To be approved, the registrant must have written medical documentation of his/her diagnosis or provide a referral letter from a medical doctor or from a disability organization. 

Who has access to the registrant’s profile?
Chattanooga Police personnel who require this information in the performance of their duties will have access to the information. There are established regulations with respect to accessing the information. The registrant’s information can be shared with other first responders during a call for service which can be helpful when a medical situation is involved or the registrant wanders off in another jurisdiction. 

After registering, and if there’s an incident, do police need to be notified?
It is preferable to let police or dispatchers know that the individual is registered with the Special Needs Identification Program. That will be disseminated to the officer(s) responding to the call, so they can better determine their respective responses. 

When and how to update a profile?
CPD requests that any change in registrant’s address or emergency contact information be updated immediately by contact the CPD Community Outreach Unit at 423-643-5251. CPD also recommends that the registrant’s photo and physical identifiers be updated every two years from the card’s date of issue. Renewals are the sole responsibility of the registrant/parent/guardian. It is recommended that registration renewals are done during the month of the registrant’s birthday. 

Is there a cost?
Registration is voluntary and there is no cost associated with the registration. 

What guarantees are there that the interaction between the registrant and the police will be positive once registered? 
While the resolution to any call for service can be difficult to predict, having this information could provide a means to work towards more positive outcomes. What the registry allows is for CPD to have the necessary information to better communicate with the individual and in order to attempt to safely resolve any issues that arise. Police will act according to procedure depending on circumstances, including arrest if a criminal act is believed to have occurred. 

The Special Needs Identification Program was created by CPD Master Patrol Officer David Lewis with the assistance of Dave Buck, PhD, executive director of the Chattanooga Autism Center, and oversight by the Chattanooga City Attorney’s Office. 

More information on the Take Me Home program can be found at https://chattanooga.gov/police-department/take-me-home.

Special Needs ID Card - back
Special Needs ID Card - back
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