RNC to access autism database in case of emergencies

A joint effort by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and the Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador will see police officers having access to an online registry of people with autism. 

The voluntary database will include an autistic person's contact information, physical description, known routines, favourite attractions and special needs. 

The initiative, to be launched in St. John's, provides police with better tools to communicate with people with autism, a news release Monday said. 

The provincial police force has been criticized in the past after its handling of Dane Spurrell, a teen with autism who was detained after officers believed he was intoxicated.

A police complaints commission decision in 2014 concluded that the two officers who dealt with Spurrell acted incorrectly and were found guilty of breaching RNC regulations. 

The RNC and Autism Society will introduce the registry at the Elaine Dobbin Centre for Autism hursday morning.