Safe Outcomes

Police Patch (2) Opens in new windowBACKGROUND

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s (CMPD) Voluntary Registry for Vulnerable Populations “Safe Outcomes” Program enables the Davidson Police Department (DPD), as a partner with CMPD, to obtain critical information (prior to an actual emergency) which assists an officer in responding to calls for service involving an individual with Alzheimer’s disease, blindness, autism, Down’s syndrome, deafness, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other physical and developmental disabilities which may affect the way individuals interact and respond to law enforcement officers.

Benefits to the Safe Outcomes program include providing peace of mind to caregivers, promoting officer safety, reducing DPD and officer liability, and helping to de-escalate calls for service involving individuals with medical and/or developmental disabilities.

Police Patch (2) Opens in new window

Officers who have information ahead of time about the nuanced behavior of an individual with medical and/or developmental disabilities, such as Alzheimer’s disease or ADHD, are better prepared to bring the call to a peaceful resolution rather than needing to take action in response to resistance. In the case of children with autism, for example, lights and sirens can be a particularly stimulating trigger for aggressive behavior. Officers can approach the call in a more sensitive manner and may be able to better resolve the situation.

To download a CMPD Safe Outcomes brochure, click here.

HOW IT WORKS

Information entered by residents into the Safe Outcomes application is added to CMPD’s computer aided dispatch (CAD) system. Special situations remarks are also included, along with other "flags" for the specific address provided by the resident. When 911 Communications receives a call for service and the address is associated with an address previously registered in Safe Outcomes and the call is dispatched to an officer, the CAD screens for officers and dispatchers will indicate this is Safe Outcomes “Flagged Address.” (DPD officers are dispatched by CMPD and 911 calls from Davidson are handled by CMPD Emergency Communications. )

The information on the screen alerts the officer that at this call for service address resides a person who is registered with the Safe Outcomes program. The responding officer can open the link on their CAD screen and read summary information and see a photo (if one is included) about the person registered in Safe Outcomes.

Safe Outcomes is voluntary for those participating and all information is kept confidential. There is no enrollment fee.

ENROLLMENT IS EASY

Caregivers can enroll family members, friends, or clients with medical and/developmental disabilities on the Safe Outcomes portal website: https://safeoutcomes.charlottenc.gov/ 

Once a registered user, a caregiver can register up to four persons on the Safe Outcomes portal, including names, contact information of family, friends, neighbors who interact with the individual, and a current photo of the individual. To mitigate confidentiality issues, CMPD has included a waiver in the registry. Providing data is voluntary, and the information will be used solely for the purpose of assisting officers and other first responders in providing service. There is no enrollment fee.

REGISTRY INFORMATION COLLECTED

The success of Safe Outcomes relies on the details of the registry information provided by a caregiver. Accurate information enables responding officers to interact effectively with those who need help and who also have medical and/or developmental disabilities.

A sampling of types of questions included on the electronic “Safe Outcomes” voluntary registry questionnaire includes:

  • Safe Outcomes Person Information
    • Address
    • Physical Description
    • Diagnosis/Disability
  • Special Considerations
    • Method of Communication
    • Commonly Worn Items
    • Approach Suggestions
  • Primary Contact Information
  • Secondary Contact Information
  • Current Photo
  • Vehicle Information (If Drives)

Caregivers are encouraged to sign back in as frequently as necessary to update information about their registration(s).

PARTNERSHIPS

Key to the success of the Safe Outcomes program are the strong partnerships formed with non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and private businesses. These partnerships can act as force multipliers, expert advisors, and resource providers. They also can provide assistance with outreach by identifying ways to access target groups and to advertise the availability of the Safe Outcomes program. More importantly, these groups provide program legitimacy that is often necessary when encouraging caretakers to register their loved one.