How police are easing anxiety for citizens with autism

Getting pulled over by a police officer, or any other unexpected encounter with law enforcement, is stressful, all the more so for a person who struggles with social interactions and communication as a result of autism.

Easing that anxiety is the idea behind two suburban police departments’ new Blue Envelope Programs.

It’s a simple concept — individuals with autism can pick up a free envelope from the police station or several other locations in town, then fill it with items that might be needed in a police interaction: a driver’s license or ID, details about their condition, contact information, proof of insurance, etc.

“When an officer sees that envelope, it could explain why a person might be having difficulty communicating or seems unresponsive,” said Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres, whose department launched its program in late August.

“It clues us in that we may need a different approach,” he added. “Traffic stops are stressful for everyone, so we wanted a way to lower that stress, or at least make it easier.”

Elgin police began their Blue Envelope Program in April. Detective Chad Benavidez describes it as “an added layer of safety” for residents and families.

“It’s also a tool for officers,” said Benavidez, who works with disabled and senior residents as the department’s special engagement detective. “It’s a reminder to the officers to recall their training and all that they’ve already been informed about (in dealing with autistic citizens).”

For both towns, it’s part of a longstanding commitment to serving citizens with autism spectrum disorder. In Elgin, that includes the annual Heroes Unite Autism Acceptance celebration, which pairs fun, sensory-friendly activities with building relationships and comfort between law enforcement and autistic residents.

Naperville police teams with the Turning Pointe Autism Foundation on various initiatives, including “Autism 101” training sessions for department staff.

“Someone with social anxiety can have a hard time accessing their communication skills when interacting with a police officer or first responder,” said Mary Butler, family specialist for the Naperville-based organization. “The whole goal is to keep the autism community safe, including emotionally safe.”

Back on the docket

A Kane County man sent to prison more than a decade ago after authorities said he left a friend to die of a heroin overdose on a park bench in St. Charles is facing a slew of new drug charges.

Clinton Eash, 49, of the 41W800 block of Campton Hills Road near Elburn, is charged with 14 counts of manufacturing or delivering a controlled substance and 11 counts of possession of a controlled substance, records show.

In an affidavit filed to obtain a search warrant, North Central Narcotics Task Force officials wrote that at least three people have overdosed this year at the house where Eash lives. (The Kane County coroner says they have records of only two, one in April and one in July.)

Task force agents searched the residence last month because they believed Eash has been dealing cocaine in the Elburn area, according to the affidavit.

Documents indicate they confiscated a cutting board and an electronic scale with crack cocaine on them; 21 grams of crack cocaine on a shelf; at least 15 grams of fentanyl; 174 grams of cocaine; 103 grams of ketamine; 91 pills, including MDMA, Trazadone, hydromorphone, Adderall, clonazepam, buprenorphine, lisdexamfetamine and zaleplon; 50 LSD gel tabs; psilocybin mushrooms; a drug ledger; $4,920 cash; and $665 in “precious metal coin sets.”

Eash was convicted of drug-induced homicide in 2007 stemming from the death of a 27-year-old St. Charles man.

Authorities said he had driven the victim and another man to Chicago in June 2006 to buy heroin. When the man appeared to be overdosing later that day and could not be revived, Eash and the second man drove him to Fox Ridge Elementary School in St. Charles and left him on a bench behind the school, prosecutors said. Three young girls found the body.

Eash was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but served half before being eligible for parole.

He was the first person charged in Kane County with drug-induced homicide, according to news reports at the time. The law, enacted in 1989, allows the prosecution of drug dealers and others who supply drugs that cause a fatal overdose.

Eash was arrested on the new charges Aug. 29 and is free on pretrial release. His next court date is Sept. 26.

Car thefts dip

Crime and good news don’t often go hand-in-hand, but here’s an exception: According to the Oak Brook-based National Insurance Crime Bureau, vehicle thefts fell 23% during the first six months of the year, compared to the same period in 2024.

After years of a pandemic-fueled surge in thefts that peaked in 2023, stolen vehicle figures are now trending toward pre-pandemic levels, according to the report.

“The significant declines we are seeing in 2025 demonstrate the effectiveness of collaborative efforts by law enforcement, automakers, insurers, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau,” said David J. Glawe, the group’s president and CEO.

The states with the biggest decline include Washington, North Dakota, Louisiana and Colorado. Illinois places in neither the top 10 for the biggest declines or the highest theft rate.

The most targeted vehicles? In order, the Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Sonata, Honda Accord, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Honda Civic.

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