Neurodivergent Town Hall set for late April by Warner Robins Police Department

WARNER ROBINS — April is Autism Acceptance Month, and in honor, the Warner Robins Police Department is hosting a town hall specifically tailored to the neurodivergent community.

The Autism and Neurodivergent Town Hall Meeting, scheduled for Thursday, April 24, will serve as a platform for residents to voice their concerns and hear updates on police initiatives related to crime and community safety.

The event was inspired by concerns raised by Joycelynn Patterson, who contacted Police Chief Wayne Fisher about improving law enforcement’s approach to neurodivergent interactions. Fisher mentioned that he knows several families with neurodivergent children, and the department had not held a town hall specifically addressing neurodiversity. 

Fisher said Patterson would be given the chance to speak and then the community would guide the discussion.

“We don’t steer the conversation point. We allow the community to steer in the direction of how they view it and see it,” Fisher said.

The department primarily anticipates a collaboration between public safety, professional care providers, and neurodivergent families, but the nature of the meeting means anyone with concerns or seeking more information is welcome to attend. 

“We left this as an open invite. We do not control who will or will not attend this event,” Fisher said.

The department’s goals extend beyond addressing concerns; they also aim to identify resources that can assist families in finding alternatives to contacting the police.

“The family can try to strategize their best approaches, because not all situations require law enforcement. But many times, these family members, when they’re in these times of need, don’t have any other resource to reach out to. From the law enforcement community, we’re understanding of that,” Fisher said.

Fisher outlined that the event has three main objectives: listening, education, and forming partnerships. He believes collaboration can lead to developing approaches for comprehending neurodivergent dynamics; The meeting provides an opportunity for brainstorming between the police and the community to find potential solutions.

“We can strategize as a public safety community and the affected community the best approaches and best practices as we try to move forward within the scope of the law,” Fisher said.

The neurodivergent town hall is among several established community outreach initiatives, such as general town hall meetings and a community impact questionnaire. Fisher said the department’s outreach strategy is already helping to lower crime rates and credited community cooperation as a key factor in its success.

“It’s the community at large, and the relationship that exists between the law enforcement community and the community itself, that works in these partnerships, that help make this community thrive and keep crime down,” he said.

Fisher said the department will use feedback from the town hall to shape future processes and if the forum begins a conversation, he sees that as a meaningful step.

“Based off that information, we strategize an approach to move forward with. I would say the same will be our approach with this [event.,]” he said. “I’m going to be very open-minded to the forum; if nothing more is accomplished out of this other than bringing the group together and having an initial conversation point from which we can build and grow from, then it will be a success.”

The department’s Autism and Neurodivergent Town Hall Meeting will take place Thursday, April 24, 6:30 p.m., in the Warner Robins Police Department roll call room at 100 Watson Boulevard.