ERIE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE LAUNCHES ‘HANDLE WITH CARE’ REGISTRY

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Erie County Sheriff John C. Garcia announces the launch of a 'Handle With Care' Registry on the Erie County Sheriff's Office website. The registry is being introduced in coordination with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Buffalo and Western New York.

Caregivers of individuals with special needs (i.e. Autism, Down Syndrome, Alzheimer's, Dementia, Substance Abuse) are encouraged to utilize this registry. It allows them to share a brief description of the person's special needs, triggers and calming methods. The intent is to better prepare deputies and emergency responders to provide improved care for these individuals, should they be called to their home or otherwise interact with them.

"In policing, information and intelligence is so important," said Sheriff John Garcia. "As our deputies respond to calls, they need as much of it as they can get. That's why the 'Handle With Care' Registry is so vital. Having details about individuals with special needs and what we can do to help them goes a long way toward providing quality public safety services and promoting a safe environment through police and citizen interaction. I'd like to thank our Chief of Police Services Timothy Carney and NAMI Buffalo and Western New York for their partnership to make this happen. It is a win for everybody across Erie County."

"NAMI Buffalo & Western New York is proud to support the Erie County Sheriff's Office in their adoption of the 'Handle With Care' Registry," said Jeffrey Pirrone, Executive Director of NAMI Buffalo & WNY. "This is an important step in equipping first responders with critical information that will assist them in responding safely, effectively, and appropriately to calls involving an individual experiencing a mental health crisis. While there is much systemic work needed to improve mental health crisis response, this registry will greatly increase the chance that individuals in need will get appropriate care and support while ensuring the safety of our first responders. We encourage family members and loved ones to utilize this registry so that officers and other first responders can better support and serve those in need."

"I applaud the Erie County Sheriff's Office for being the first police agency in Western New York to implement the 'Handle With Care' Registry. In fact, Central Police Services is in preliminary talks regarding the implementation of the registry throughout the entire law enforcement community of Erie County," said Commissioner of Erie County Central Police Services Brian Ross. "The 'Handle with Care' registry has real potential. It is another tool that we can give to our first responders to increase the likelihood of positive outcomes during their engagement with members of our community that are suffering from a mental health crisis."

You can register using the link below:

https://www4.erie.gov/sheriff/form/handle-with-care