Chief of Police; Past President at Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police & Foundation, Inc.
We are excited about expanding our capabilities to better communicate with those in our community who have invisible disabilities, different sensory needs, or mental health challenges. Understanding how these invisible challenges can impact another person's ability to interact effectively with us is critical, especially during emergencies. Thanks to KultureCity for the education and the tools to "be better" in this area. We are also proud to be the first law enforcement agency in Virginia to receive the Sensory Inclusive First Responder Certification.
𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐰 𝐄𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐊𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲® 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 Chief Maggie DeBoard is pleased to announce that the Herndon Police Department (HPD), as part of an effort to promote inclusivity and accessibility for individuals with sensory needs, has become the first law enforcement agency in Virginia to train every officer in sensory inclusion in partnership with KultureCity. The certification process entailed officers at HPD be trained by leading medical and neurodivergent professionals on how to recognize community members with sensory needs and how to handle a sensory overload situation. Sensory bags, equipped with noise canceling headphones (provided by Puro Sound Labs), fidget tools, and verbal cue cards will be available in all HPD cruisers for community members who may feel overwhelmed by the environment or emergency situation. Learn more about KultureCity® at www.kulturecity.org
This is amazing Chief! Keep leading the way!
Veteran Outreach Coordinator | Co-Owner of Mission Mind Wellness
6hChief, this is truly remarkable! As a parent of a nonverbal child with autism, it warms my heart to see your department’s commitment to training every officer and partnering with KultureCity.