A big round of applause for Officer Donohoe and the Pensacola PD!

[Guest guest]

This just in from Dennis Debbaudt-while we were on the law enforcement

topic-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Pensacola News Journal reported today on the history and progress of the

Take Me Home program created by our friend, Pensacola Police Officer Jimmy

Donohoe.

A nice bump for Autism Society of the Panhandle (FL), too!

A big round of applause for Officer Donohoe and the Pensacola PD!

Dennis

Here's the link:

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articleAID=/20080211/NEWS0

1/80\2110311/1006

<http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articleAID=/20080211/NEWS

01/80/2110311/1006>

Here's the story:

Published - February, 11, 2008

Take Me Home takes off

Database helps police identify and help people with disabilities

Thyrie Bland

tbland@...

<http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ASA-ChapterNetwork/post?postID=QTzjF-n

58i9LxKSQa_zsNfqbdCB5DgpiEKvwu3-B5jd2Zq7DH3dixyPqBFym_NJ65j1hptQqLw>

Penascola police Officer Jimmy Donohoe was just trying to help local

autistic children when he created the Take Me Home program.

The database was to be used by his agency to help get lost autistic children

home safely and quickly. Word of the program spread and local parents,

including parents of adults with disabilities, wanted to participate in the

program, too.

Law enforcement agencies and organizations across the country learned of the

program and wanted it for their communities as well.

Donohoe has sent the Take Me Home software to more than 80 law enforcement

agencies and organizations, including two law enforcement agencies abroad,

since the program started here in 2005.

This year he has been invited to Tallahassee, Orlando and North Carolina to

talk about the program.

More than 350 people, children and adults, are in the Pensacola Police

Department's database, which includes their pictures and emergency contacts.

Officers can access the database from the laptops in their patrol cars. They

can search the database by name or by a person's description.

The Police Department does not require a person to have a disability to be

in the database.

" I don't refuse anyone in this program, " Donohoe said. " If it gives that

parent peace of mind, I'd rather do it. "

Byram, executive director of the Autism Society of the Panhandle,

enrolled her autistic son, Byram, 18, in the program about three years

ago. The Pace resident said she comes to Pensacola a lot, and having her son

in the program gives her peace of mind.

" It's a reassurance to parents that there is another layer of protection, "

she said.

Deborah Linton, executive director of the Association of Retarded Citizens

of Florida, has asked Donohoe to talk before a state Senate appropriations

committee about the program. She said she hopes Donohoe's presentation leads

to legislation requiring all Florida law enforcement agencies to use the

program.

Linton said she thinks the program will go over well with lawmakers because

it's free.

Donohoe said providing the service for free is his only requirement when he

sends it to other agencies.

Donohoe said he once received a call from a man who was adamant about

selling the software. Donohoe said the city got the software patented soon

afterward.

Donohoe came up with the idea for the database after he was invited to an

Autism Society of the Panhandle meeting in 2003.

The parents there were concerned about their autistic children, some of whom

can't communicate, encountering law enforcement if they got lost.

Donohoe suggested getting necklaces or bracelets for the children with the

word " autistic " on it. He also told the parents they could get shoelaces and

have their children's names and addresses written on the laces.

Donohoe said each idea was shot down by the parents. Many of the parents

said their children wouldn't wear bracelets or necklaces or didn't like

wearing shoes with laces.

" I left that meeting that night and just felt so inadequate, " he said.

Consolidated Technology Solutions in Pensacola developed the software for

the program.

Donohoe said he does not know of any instances where the program has been

used to get someone home safely.

" I hope that it's never needed, " he said. " But if it's needed, it's worth

every minute of time that I have put into this program. "

Dennis Debbaudt

http://www.autismriskmanagement.com

phone

fax

Port St. Lucie, Florida

" Passion: You Can't Buy It - You Can't Hide It! " (Debbaudt, 2005)

___________________________________________________

My best,

Jeff Sell, Esq.

Director of Chapters & Membership

Autism Society of America 7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 300

Bethesda, MD 20814-3067

ext. 104 (office) (fax)

(e-fax)

jsell@...

www.autism-society.org <http://www.autism-society.org/>

Find local autism resources, www.AutismSource.org

<http://www.autismsource.org/>

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