Title
Recognition of Pflugerville's Texas Municipal League Public Safety Award for the Autism Buddies Program.
Summary
The City of Pflugerville was awarded a Texas Municipal League 2021 Municipal Excellence Award for public safety on Tuesday, October 6 for cities over 25,000 in population for the Pflugerville Autism Buddies program.
Mayor Victor Gonzales, Councilmembers and representatives from the Police Department were present to accept the award.
To better serve the needs of our community, in October 2020 the Pflugerville Police Department launched Pflugerville Autism Buddies to promote positive interactions between officers and the autistic community. This program allows family members or guardians to establish an emergency contact and provide information that can help police officers assist and bring home members of our community who otherwise may be unable to voice their needs. The department issues a program ID card that includes name, date of birth, a photo, identifying characteristics and emergency contact information.
In Pflugerville, officers have often engaged with the autistic community and noticed that a lack of ID made helping someone find their home or guardian stressful and difficult. By providing this specialized form of identification, officers can help the community, particularly those who are non-verbal, reduce the stress of an interaction with law enforcement. When these interactions are more positive, these individuals are more likely to seek an officer’s help the next time they need it. For more information on this program, visit pflugervilletx.gov/pfab.
The 2021 Texas Municipal League Municipal Excellence Awards recognize and encourage the achievements of Texas cities in meeting the challenges of municipal government. Innovative problem-solving, excellence in management, increasing citizen participation, and reaching toward higher service levels are all daily occurrences in Texas cities and the TML Municipal Excellence Awards hig...
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