DERRY, Pa. — As part of Autism Awareness Month, the Derry Township Police Department created a unique shoulder patch that is helping raise money for a local special education school.
The patch is similar to the normal one worn by Derry Township officers but includes colorful puzzle pieces emblematic of autism awareness.
The patches are being sold to the public for $10 each. All proceeds will be donated to The Vista School, which provides services and support to children and adults living with autism in central Pennsylvania.
Derry Township Police officers say their partnership with The Vista School has helped teach their officers how to better interact with the community.
"They've been able to help us out in better ways to interact with people that may be nonverbal [or] may be alarmed by police radios [and] by sirens [and] things like that," said Chief Garth Warner. "[They] made us a little bit more aware, so we wanted to give back."
There are only a limited number of patches that have been made. Information on how to purchase them can be found on the Derry Township Police Department CRIMEWATCH site.