Greene County Sheriff Peter Kusminsky announced today, January 29, 2025, that the Greene County Sheriff’s Office is joining the NYS Sheriff’s Institute & other local Sheriffs in adopting the Blue Envelope Program, which is an important safety program for drivers with autism. This program originated in 2020 in the state of Connecticut and has been spreading to other states since.
Sheriff Kusminsky, Lt. George Tortorelis, Kate Murphy, Director of Community Wellness & Tracy Schober, Executive Director of the Autism Society Greater Hudson Region (ASGHR) met to discuss this important initiative that enhances safety, understanding, and communication between law enforcement and autistic drivers. “There are many adult drivers who are living with autism. A driver’s physical movements or verbal responses which would normally be appropriate during a traffic stop may be beyond an autistic driver’s control. This has sometimes led to an escalation of the situation and resulted in a bad outcome”.
To address this problem, law enforcement agencies around NYS have recently begun adopting the Blue Envelope Program. They are encouraging drivers with autism to obtain a Blue Envelope, in which the drivers can keep their license, registration, insurance card or other relevant documents, which a police officer would normally request upon a traffic stop. There is also a set of instructions on the blue envelope with steps the driver should follow should they get pulled over. On the other side of the envelope there are notifications for the Law Enforcement Officer advising that the individual is on the autism spectrum and may react in a different manor than other drivers.
This program benefits Autistic drivers in multiple ways: improved communication, reduced stress & anxiety and enhanced safety for all. Autistic drivers, their families and local law enforcement agencies are encouraged to participate in this program. Drivers with autism can contact Kate Murphy, Director of Community Wellness (kmurphy@greenesheriffny.gov) to obtain one for their use.
