Colorado police department's new program expected to improve communication, including with people who have disabilities
It's the first program of its kind in the state: Boulder Police Department rolled out a Blue Envelope program. The goal is to make sure everyone can communicate effectively with police, including people with disabilities that might not be apparent.
Boulder PD's Blue Envelope program follows similar programs from departments across the country that allows someone to write down any information they might want an officer to know if they get pulled over, or have an interaction with police.
Alastair McNiven, Boulder Police chief of staff, helped bring this idea to the state in what he says is a proactive step to strengthening communication between police officers and their community.
"When you hand it over to the officer, right off the bat, it's a clue that the officer should recognize there's a potential for a communication barrier and or that there's valuable information that they should pay attention to," McNiven said.
The envelopes follow other states using the program with a goal of reducing stress at traffic stops. On the envelopes are tips for successful interactions, as well as space to write in any concerns or invisible disabilities including autism, Tourette syndrome or deafness.
"If you have a bad experience with a with a law enforcement officer on a traffic stop, that's going to stick with you, and anything we can do to minimize the likelihood of that, I think we should be doing," McNiven added.
Boulder PD designed the envelopes with a wide range of disability advocacy groups, including those in the deaf community.
The envelopes are a resource that Autumn Montoya, who is deaf, says shows progress. We spoke to her with the help of an American Sign Language interpreter.
"It's a good start to start the process of getting more improvements with the system and also providing accessible communication," Montoya signed.
Montoya has seen the stress that can come from miscommunications with police firsthand. She says a trespassing call in 2022 led to her kids being taken away for months.
"The moment that communication failed, there was a breakdown. There was a police officer that was asking questions," Montoya signed. "I was fighting for my right to obtain an interpreter for us to clearly communicate."
Her lawyer, Andrew Montoya with Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, says the officer signing didn't translate everything correctly. Ultimately, Autumn Montoya sued Boulder Police Department and settled with BPD, paying Autumn Montoya $75,000 and added training resources for officers.
"This is not the first time that this has happened to someone not to be provided an interpreter," Montoya signed. "I was not the only one that was impacted."
While the Blue Envelopes are not related to her case, Montoya plants to get one herself, and she is hopeful the new program can help improve communication in the future.
The most important thing is that the goal for the deaf community is, you know, for clear, clarity of communication," Montoya signed. "Will they actually get an interpreter for the deaf community in a timely manner? So that's what we have to wait and see about."
In a statement in part, Boulder PD maintains its officers acted appropriately in their encounter and the settlement was "largely based on avoiding the expense of continued litigation."
BPD says more than 100 envelopes have already been handed out, as the department continues to work with advocacy groups for feedback and steps to better future interactions. The department is already considering creating smaller blue envelopes in the future for hikers and cyclists.
"Every group of officers that we've trained on this has been so excited at this as a potential tool for improving communication with people," From the feedback from our advocacy groups and our family members. We were hopeful... I'm so grateful that people have embraced it the way they have."
Advocacy groups like the Autism Society of Boulder County told CBS Colorado it's excited about the program as well sharing in a statement in part, "Together, we are excited about the potential of the Blue Envelope Program to empower individuals with disabilities and enhance their safety within our community. We applaud the Boulder Police Department for their leadership in this innovative effort and look forward to seeing its positive impact."
Anyone interested in an envelope can pick one up at the Boulder police station or by emailing blueenvelope@bouldercolorado.gov.