Disability panel warns police about blue lights use

A police force on a mission to have a more diverse and inclusive culture has been told by a panel of people with autism that its use of flashing blue lights could cause distress.

Cambridgeshire police and crime commissioner, Darryl Preston, organised an event where people with neurodiverse conditions and those with caring responsibilities were shown body-worn footage of police interactions with disabled people.

The panel told police how emergency lights could heighten anxiety and raised the importance of "calm, sensory-aware communication".

Cambridgeshire Police said it could "positively review our current practices" using the feedback.

Preston said the consultation was about "building trust, increasing understanding and ensuring our services are fair and inclusive".

"Hearing directly from people with lived experience of autism provides us with invaluable insight into how police encounters are perceived and how improvements can be made," he said.

Other "key learnings" from the event included consideration of using plain-clothed officers at certain incidents, and a greater awareness of the "Right Care, Right Person" model, to make sure people having a mental health crisis receive support from the most appropriate agency.

Attendees included representatives from social care champion Healthwatch and the UK advocacy charity, VoiceAbility.

A member of VoiceAbility, Sean, said: "This was a very interesting and informative session. The videos were very interesting to watch. The police explained everything well and I felt they listened to my feedback."

Lucy Kennedy, from Healthwatch, said it was an "incredibly interesting experience".

"We were pleased to be able to support those attending to inform police practice and training, and are delighted that as a result of the event one of our panel members is planning to become a regular volunteer for the Community Scrutiny Panel," she said.

If you require information and support related to autism, BBC Action Line has a list of organisations that can help.