KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office has launched a new program aimed at improving emergency responses involving residents with cognitive or communication disabilities.
The Take Me Home program is a voluntary registry that helps law enforcement identify and safely interact with individuals who may become disoriented, non-verbal, or struggle to communicate during a crisis.
“We have asked folks to register their loved ones online who fit those parameters and to tell us an emergency contact for them to tell us the address, and to tell us things like, what would upset them? How could we have a successful interaction with them, like, Should we turn our lights off? Should we turn the siren off?" said Sarah Boyd with Clay County Sheriff's Office.
Boyd said the program is designed with both safety and dignity in mind. Deputies and officers across Clay County — including Liberty, Kearney, Excelsior Springs, and Gladstone — now have access to the secure database.
"If someone goes missing too, we have all that information ready to go," said Boyd. "Folks throughout the county can can sign up for it, and it'll work in any of those jurisdictions.”
That means if a registered individual is found wandering or unable to communicate, law enforcement can search the area on a digital map, view their photo, and reunite them with their family quickly.
The system also enhances day-to-day police interactions. For example, a traffic stop involving someone with high-functioning autism might unfold differently if the responding officer knows in advance how that person processes commands.
“When they're facing law enforcement, it can be very scary for them. And the problems that we see the most of is that somebody might have a communication ability that is different than what you or I might have and so they may not be verbal," said Christie Carlson.
Carlson, Assistant Director for Service Coordination in Clay County, works with families who support individuals with communication differences. She said programs like Take Me Home help bridge a crucial gap.
“Just having this in place is probably huge for families in general, just knowing that somebody else in the community with the law enforcement will know their individuals will see the people that they love for who they are, not as a threat," said Carlson.
Families can enroll a loved one in the Take Me Home program by visiting the Clay County Sheriff’s Office website and completing a simple online form. You’ll need a photo of the individual, their condition, key behaviors, and emergency contact information.
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