The registry gives police officers a heads-up to any disability, disorder, diagnosis, coexisting conditions, behavior triggers, de-escalation techniques, medical and other critical information.
Residents may voluntarily fill out and submit the forms to provide information about themselves or household member who may require special assistance in their encounters with officers, according to police officials.
"We best respond to emergency situations with as much information as we can possibly have," Clinton Township Police Chief Dina Caringi said in a statement. "The registry enhances our ability to assist with vital knowledge regarding a registrant's disability."
Required information includes the registrant's name, address, date of birth, physical description, nature of the disability, and a current photo. Once submitted, the registry is forwarded to COMTECH, Macomb County's emergency communications and technology center.
Caringi said the submitted information is confidential and will only be accessed and shared with first responders during an emergency or when first responders have a reason to do so.
Supervisor Bob Cannon called the registry a "valuable tool that will save time, energy, and even lives."
"I'm proud of how our police department cares for the community and finds ways to connect while understanding the importance of special registries such as these," Trustee Tammy Patton said in a statement.
Persons of any age with any medical condition or disability, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alzheimer's disease or dementia, bipolar disorder, and Down syndrome, can use the registry.
Caringi said the registry is one example of a new service she collaborated on with her staff to serve the public better. During her first year as chief, she found the police department could do more by utilizing the township's website.
"We wanted to think outside the box and provide more services and resources to the public that are technology-based," she said.
Along with the new registry, residents can find forms online to request law enforcement to watch their homes while on vacation and to report abandoned vehicles.
The registry is available at clintontownship.com/281/Police.
© 2022 The Macomb Daily, Mount Clemens, Mich. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
