(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Police in suburban Palos Park have a new tool for calming children in crisis situations.
Every police squad in Palos Park now has a Sense-ational Kit, bags that contain objects that could help calm down children or people with autism or mental illnesses during emergencies.
The kits include noise-canceling headphones and sunglasses to help people deal with sensory overload. They also contain items that have a calming feel or look, like a squishy toy.
"If someone’s not verbal, we’ll have extra tools that we can pull out and see if a child responds to any of them,” said Officer Danielle Scaccia, who oversees mental health and crisis intervention calls for the department.
Having the sensory kits could help police not over-react to situations, she said.
“This is something that also will help officers maybe slow down and kind of reevaluate the situation."
The Palos Park Police Department has also received funding from the Palos Park Police Foundation to enhance the Sense-ational Kits program with wristbands for children. It's designed to help first-responders identify children and their parents more quickly.