New Gardena Police Sticker Alerts Officers To The Presence Of A Person With Special Needs
GARDENA (CBSLA) — Free stickers available starting today could be the difference between life and death at the hands of a police officer.
The Gardena Police Department on Monday is now offering free stickers that will alert law enforcement personnel that they may be interacting with a person with special needs. Use of the reflective stickers are voluntary, and are designed to be placed near the front doors of homes or on car windows.
"The special needs sticker program was adopted as another tool to help law enforcement officers when interacting with those with potential physical or developmental disabilities," the department said in a statement.
Gardena police officers are trained every year on how to interact with people who have special needs, but the stickers are a visual indicator of a person at a call for service may have special needs, and instructions may not be easily understood.
The stickers are available to the public in the lobby of the Gardena Police Department, 1718 W. 162nd Street, or through district lieutenants.
The city of Seal Beach earlier this year also debuted a similar sticker.