Ever Heard Of Maine’s ‘Blue Envelope’ Program? Here’s The Skinny…

Let's be honest, getting pulled over, even if it's for something simple, can be a nerve-racking experience for anyone. When you add the complexity of someone with autism, anxiety disorder, or sensory issues, the experience can be compounded for both the individual being pulled over and the law enforcement involved as well.

It's with these situations in mind that the "Blue Envelope" program was created.

Get our free mobile app

The idea is simple, folks can pick up this special blue envelope at participating police departments. On the outside of the envelope, there are special instructions for the person being pulled over but also for the cop doing the traffic stop.

On the inside of the envelope is everything someone would need to present like their license, registration, and proof of insurance. This way, not only would it prevent someone in distress from the stressful situation of having to dig through the car to find all of the necessary documents, but it would also alert the officer that there may be a reason for this particular individual behaving differently.

According to a post put out on the Milo Police Department's Facebook page, the program has been catching on in popularity across the state.

"If you are ever stopped by a Law Enforcement Officer, or involved in a traffic crash, you can just hand the whole envelope to the officer without having to sift through documents to find everything...The intent of the program is to hopefully relieve some stress that the individual may experience roadside. The envelopes have writing on them to both assist the individual with the process, and the officer to understand the situation in front of them if the exhibiting behaviors not normally encountered. "

The hope is that more police departments will take part in the program, and help educate the public, as well as their officers, about it.