Mission Possible 2013 Event Aims to Raise Autism Awareness NA13181dm

What:   
An event to help bridge the gap between law enforcement and the autism community

When:   
Thursday, October 24, 2013  9:30 a.m.

Where:   
Los Angeles Mission College
13356 Eldridge Avenue
Sylmar, CA 91342

Who:
District 2 City of Los Angeles Councilman Paul Krekorian
District 3 City of Los Angeles Councilman Bob Blumenfield
District 4 City of Los Angeles Councilman Tom LaBonge
District 5 City of Los Angeles Councilman Paul Koretz
District 6 City of Los Angeles Councilwoman Nury Martinez
District 7 City of Los Angeles Councilman Felipe Fuentes
District 12 City of Los Angeles Councilman Mitchell Englander
LAPD Assistant Chief Sandy Jo MacArthur
LAPD Deputy Chief Jorge Villegas
LAPD Director of Police Training and Education, Dr. Luann Pannell
Autism Society of America, President/CEO Scott Badesch

Why:
To better enable law enforcement personnel to develop the understanding and tools needed to meet the distinct social, communicational and behavioral needs of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

The event is also designed to help young people with ASD learn the necessary skills to be safe in the community.  Over 100 local students are expected to attend the event and participate in hands-on workshops.  Each student will work one-on-one with a police partner to learn and practice safety skills such as asking for help.  In a friendly, non-threatening environment, students will be able to learn about police procedures and gain experience in following instructions.  This will also provide students with a chance to become familiar with emergency equipment, such as police cars and ambulances.

Contact:
For additional information contact Media Relations Section at 213-486-5910.