News Releases

Walmart in Germantown Awards MCP with Grant for Autism Safety Kits

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, July 30, 2014

The Walmart located at 20910 Frederick Road in Germantown has awarded the Montgomery County Police Department a grant through the Walmart Community Grants Program.

This morning, Officer Laurie Reyes, who runs the Department's Autism and Alzheimer's outreach and wandering prevention program, and Assistant Chief Betsy Davis, accepted this $2,000 grant on behalf of the Montgomery County Police Foundation* and the Department.

Officer Reyes plans on purchasing Montgomery County Police Department “Autism Safety Kits” with this grant money.  These kits are provided to parents/guardians of children with Autism as part of a wandering prevention program.  The kit includes wandering safety handouts, Autism safety shirts, Autism ID bracelets, Autism awareness MCPD window clings (they read, “MCPD - someone with Autism lives in this home, may not respond to verbal commands”), door alarms, and MCPD badge tattoos.

On average, the Montgomery County Police Department investigates two missing (wandering) Autistic children cases per week.  The Department recognizes that caregivers of loved ones with Autism have a huge responsibility and the Department will continue its efforts to work with caregivers to avoid wandering and wandering tragedies.

*The Montgomery County Police Foundation is a private, non-profit, 501c3 organization whose mission is to raise funds for the Montgomery County Police Department’s non-budgeted programs to enhance the quality of police service for the citizens of Montgomery County.

RLI

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Release ID: 14-267
Media Contact: mcpnews 
Categories: press-releases