Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi I care for my adult son with autism and schizophrenia, a police officer came and asked me a lot of rapid questions as my son knocked twice at window and doors , of a nearby house he always says a phrase, Jesus died for our sins then leaves.
Since last year his symptoms have decreased but going out he will likely still do this, many are understanding but this person called police. I felt almost intimidated and they didn't even ask to speak to my son. I opened his door and spoke to him. I explained he is waiting for a next clinic appointment anytime now. They even asked if we have a social worker, I wasn't happy that they were abrupt and didn't give me time to think very well. If they spoke to my son that way he would have clammed up or got confused/upset. I offered to apologise the person who complained but they said its not necessary.
I felt there was no empathy or respect, and I was only asked my surname not first.
Yes it does sound as though they were rude and not understanding or empathetic. They may have asked about a social worker as they're trying to move away from being the service of last resort for people with issues that are not criminal, but often mental health related. This still does not excuse the general manner with which they dealt with you though. DO you know the neighbour who complained? They may have mental health or other issues too and were really scared?
Police see many negative things every day, people arguing and fighting, gun violence, dead people. It's a high stress and demanding job. Sometimes they are just going through the motions, asking the same kind of questions to everyone. As long as everything's still in order, they'll just go on their way, to respond to the next call, which could be anything. As long as you and your son are alright, that's what matters the most.
NAS94192 said:I felt there was no empathy or respect
I suspect they were just having a bad day - dealing with the worst of society then being called out on a "nusance" call is probably going to make them think it is a waste of their time.
If there is a risk of your son being taken into custody then I recommend you read this article and print off copies of the guide to have on hand in case you need to help him out. It should help save a lot of misunderstanding.
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/police-custody
Having a copy of his diagnosis printed out will also help establish that he isn't faking it.
Unfortunately lots of parts of society have not caught up with the reality of autism yet but this guide should save a lot of grief.
I would advise asking the clinik if they can get him a therapist to help him deal with the more anti-social aspects of his behaviour when he is experiencing the worse symptoms.
Does not surprise me I am afraid i am having issues with the Police myself at the moment which I am robustly defending.I too shall i say have had issues with Police sorry for your trouble it sounds like you dealt with it superbly