Kenosha Police Department's S.A.F.E.R. program; specialized response

KENOSHA, Wis. - A new program by the Kenosha Police Department helps its police officers better interact with people who have special needs. It is the S.A.F.E.R. program – which stands for Specialized Alerts For Enhanced Response.

S.A.F.E.R. program

What we know:

Kenosha police officers Tyler Cochran and Gustavo Arellano helped spearhead the new S.A.F.E.R. program. 

The two officers say certain scenarios call for special approaches. They spent the past year-and-a-half putting the S.A.F.E.R. program into action. 

What they're saying:

"There’s many calls that we get where we don’t necessarily know going into that call what’s happening," Cochran said. 

Tyler Cochran

"Calls where I have had a non-verbal child," Arellano said. 

"Sometimes just seeing lights on a police car, you know, with the lights on could be a trigger for somebody," Cochran said. "It’s an acronym for additional information that we have for when officers are responding to these calls so they can really help guide someone that’s in need."

Enrolling in S.A.F.E.R.

What you can do:

The free and voluntary program allows for people and their loved ones to enroll at Kenosha.org. 

Users will submit their information to the police, highlighting specific triggers. 

Once the user's name and information is in the system, if they are involved in a 911 call, dispatch will get a S.A.F.E.R. alert – and get that information to responding officers. That information will include the person's name, address and other relevant medical conditions.

What they're saying:

"Sensory issues, dietary," Cochran said. "We always want a positive outcome on every single call."

"That information sharing and helping us enhance our response to different calls," Arellano said.

Gustavo Arellano

Getting the word out

Big picture view:

Kenosha police have already met with schools and counseling agencies to spread the word about S.A.F.E.R. Now, they want the public to know about it as well.