Mesa Police Department recently became the first police department to earn the Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) designation. The designation, granted by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), requires officers to complete training and commit to ongoing programs to better equip officers to better understand and communicate with autistic individuals or those with sensory sensitivities when encountering them in the community.
“I am proud of our officers and professional staff for completing this important autism-specific training. We want our community to be confident in our ability to interact with autistic patients who quite often experience interpersonal interactions differently,” said Chief Ken Cost. “We believe by completing this program, our Department will have a better understanding and feel empowered to provide the best interaction to serve the needs of our community. Thank you to IBCCES for helping us develop these skills.”


Mesa Police Department joins more than 60 organizations in and near Mesa, AZ, to become a Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) in an effort to create a truly inclusive community. As part of this initiative toward inclusion for residents and visitors with autism and other sensory disorders, Visit Mesa gathered community support from the city and local officials, private businesses, and other partners to achieve the IBCCES designation of the first-ever Autism Certified City by IBCCES.
IBCCES also created CertifiedAutismCenter.com, as a free online resource for parents that lists certified locations and professionals. Each organization listed on the site has met Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) requirements.
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