Erie County Sheriff’s Office launches registry for people with special needs

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Erie County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday the launch of its “Handle With Care” registry for people with special needs.

In partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the goal of the registry is to give deputies and emergency responders more resources to provide people with improved care, the ESCO said.

Caregivers of people with autism, Down syndrome, Alzheimer’s, dementia, substance abuse and more are encouraged to sign up for the registry. During registration, caregivers can add a brief description of the person’s needs, triggers and calming methods.

“In policing, information and intelligence is so important. As our deputies respond to calls, they need as much of it as they can get,” said Erie County Sheriff John Garcia in a release. “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.”

Click here to sign up for the “Handle With Care” registry.

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Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here.

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