Rockville Centre home to first certified sensory police department in N.Y. Here are the tools officers use.
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. -- The village of Rockville Centre on Long Island is now the first in New York to have a certified sensory police department.
CBS News New York found out what that means and how it could help countless people in the community.
"It gives power back to the individual"
If you ask Sean Culkin, an ambassador for the nonprofit Kulturecity, the sensory tools, which bear resemblance to toys, that are now being used by the Rockville Centre Police Department are a game changer.
"What it really symbolizes for me, is how far our world and community have come," Culkin said.
When Culkin was just 2 years old, he was diagnosed with autism. Knowing first-hand how certain tools can help those with sensory needs in stressful and emergency situations, he made it his mission to make sure police officers in his hometown also knew the benefits.
"The sensory tools allow people to regulate their senses and emotions," Culkin said. "As a result, it gives power back to the individual to respond in the best way possible."
Rockville Centre PD may be a model for other departments
With Culkin's help, every police car in the department's fleet carries a sensory bag full of the tools, and its more than 50 officers have all been properly trained to recognize and handle a sensory-overload situation. The department is now the first in New York state equipped to do so.
"In this police environment, any time we have a tool or piece of equipment that can help us do our jobs better, that's a home run," Rockville Centre Police Sgt. Peter Pellegrino said.
Along with medical professionals, Pellegrino led the two-day training program, which included video and classroom lessons.
He explained how all of it will help with policing.
"With this bag, any time we run into someone who has a sensory issue, it's going to help us be able to communicate easier," Pellegrino said.
What people with sensory needs experience
Experts say 1 in 4 Americans has a sensory need, which, besides autism, includes PTSD, dementia or stroke. They also say common sounds, lights, crowds and even certain smells might not only be overwhelming but also physically painful for those with sensory needs.
Mary Lou and Tony Cancellieri, the co-founders of RVC Blue Speaks, funded the Rockville Centre sensory inclusion program.
"Anxiety level of individuals faced with a trauma leaves them speechless. They are paralyzed. They can't reach out," Mary Lou Cancellieri said.
The lessons the Rockville Centre police officers learned will not end here. Officials say it will be implemented into the departments continued in-service training.