Howard County task force recommendations draw mixed reactions from disability advocates

Several members of the disability and neurodivergent communities hope recommendations from a Howard County task force will lead to meaningful changes in how police and emergency responders handle crises involving people with disabilities.

The Task Force on Disability Inclusion, Safety, and Crisis Response was created following the death of Alex LaMorie, a man with autism who was shot and killed by Howard County police.

The task force met from July 30 to Oct. 27, ultimately voting to send a report and list of recommendations to Howard County Executive Calvin Ball.

The report was released to the public Tuesday. While some see the recommendations as a step toward change, others say they fall short of what is needed to prevent another tragedy.

The 15 recommendations call for expanded training, improved data collection and greater involvement from disability and neurodivergent communities in planning and implementing changes.

Reaction to the recommendations

Beth Benevides left the task force's first meeting with questions about what tools the county might be missing to prevent another tragedy.

Speaking with WJZ on Wednesday, Benevides said she is still looking for answers. She was among the few task force members who voted against the recommendations.

"I don't feel that we put forward anything that today tells us where the system failed Alex and what must change right away," Benevides said.

In a statement, LaMorie's family said it welcomes the task force's work and any discussion about improving policing in Howard County.

However, the family said the recommendations do not include enough concrete steps.

"Acknowledgement without accountability and action is not enough," the statement reads. "It remains to be seen whether and how the task force's initial recommendations, along with other necessary reforms, will be implemented and sustained in Howard County."

The LaMorie family has filed a federal lawsuit against Howard County and the officers involved in the deadly shooting.

One overarching recommendation calls on incoming County Executive Vanessa Atterbeary to create a steering committee to continue the task force's work and hold the county accountable for implementing its recommendations.

Benevides said incoming Howard County Council members also have a responsibility to ensure changes are made.

"What recommendations will they act on? Alex's family and the public deserve to know what the county will do differently the next time someone calls in a crisis," she said.

Yi Han, an active autism advocate in Howard County, said the recommendations represent needed progress.

"We are not escaping it and we see the real issues. We take [sic] the very first step in resolving this trauma in the long run," Han said.

The recommendations in detail

The report's 15 recommendations are organized around four focus areas:

• Training for Howard County employees
• Education, outreach and partnerships
• On-scene response protocols
• Emergency response and prevention protocols

Among the recommendations are expanded disability and behavioral health training for first responders, alternative response models that prioritize mental health professionals over police in certain situations, and including disability and neurodivergent communities in all stages of planning and decision-making.

The task force also recommended creating a public dashboard to track interactions involving people with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals with police and other emergency response agencies.

"I would like to thank all task force members for their hard work," Ball said in a news release. "The safety, health, and wellbeing of [people with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals] is held in high value by all of us who serve in county government."

Another education recommendation calls for increased training and awareness about internet safety and cybercrimes for all county residents.

Howard County police said LaMorie initially called 911 after becoming the victim of a scam. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation.