Camden County launches Blue Envelope program to help communication between police and autistic drivers

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To commemorate World Autism Month, Camden County law enforcement officials launched the Blue Envelope program on Tuesday. The program’s goal is to reduce the stress and anxiety of traffic stops for drivers diagnosed with autism or a similar neurological condition.

“For individuals on the autism spectrum, a routine traffic stop can be stressful and overwhelming. In fact, it’s stressful and overwhelming for most people,” said Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. “Imagine if you own the autism spectrum, how difficult this could be.”

The envelope will contain important information for drivers diagnosed with autism or a similar neuro-condition, including their license, insurance information and vehicle information.

On the front of the envelope are instructions for the driver, while the back will have information for the police officer conducting the traffic stop.

Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay said the program “cuts out all the guesswork.”

“We need to keep in mind that officers have no idea who’s behind the wheel and what the challenges that person is facing,” she said. “Once handed the blue envelope, officers will be able to handle these encounters with greater compassion and understanding.”

Several other counties in New Jersey, including Atlantic, Gloucester and Essex counties, have a similar program, which was first piloted in Arizona and Connecticut. In the Garden State, the program was first implemented in Hunterdon County, according to the nonprofit Autism New Jersey.

Envelopes will be available at all participating law enforcement agencies, in addition to Cooper University Health Care, Virtua Health facilities and Luke’s Place, a Audubon-based nonprofit that serves neurodiverse young adults.

The program is a relief for Patty Sztenderowicz, whose son John got his driver’s license in 2023.

“It helps me sleep at night,” she said. “Knowing that he has the envelope in case there is an emergency, he can pull it out, because we understand that he could be very stressed out, misunderstood, anxious and display some kind of behaviors that would concern a cop.”

John Sztenderowicz, who attended the press briefing sporting the gold medal he won in basketball at the Special Olympics in Wildwood recently, said that having the blue envelope will be supportive.

“It helps me not get stressed and avoiding anxiety stuff like that,” he said. “It helps me if I get pulled over by police [or] in an accident and stuff like that, or speeding.”