Mesa Police Department Becomes The First Police Department To Earn Certified Autism Center™ Designation

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 is excited to announce the Mesa Police Department designation, as they are a key partner in helping Mesa create a truly inclusive community. Our program is designed to help officers understand autism better and provide communication strategies so they can use these tools as they serve their community and respond in a variety of situations,” said Myron Pincomb, IBCCES Board Chairman.

For more than 20 years, IBCCES has been the industry leader in cognitive disorder training and certification for education, healthcare, and corporate professionals around the globe. IBCCES provides evidence-based training and certification programs created in conjunction with clinical experts and individuals with autism in order to provide professionals serving individuals with cognitive disorders a better understanding of what these disorders are, industry best practices, varied perspectives, and the latest research in these areas.

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.