LAHTH Reaches Tasmanian Police Academy

Today, Lend a hand to Hugo Founder and Director Luke Williams presented to nineteen Tasmanian Police Trainee Constables at the Tasmanian Police Academy, Rokeby.

Through speaking with members of the Tasmanian Police Force, and in particularly Lend a hand to Hugo CTPL (Cricket Tasmania Premier League) Ambassador and Tasmanian Police Officer Nicholas Grubb, we recognised that there was a need for further knowledge for the next crop of Tasmanian Police.

The informative workshop placed emphasis on:

• Providing knowledge about Autism for the Trainee Constables.

• How to identify social ques and gestures of those affected by autism and other disabilities.

• How to be approachable, and how to approach someone affected by a disability.

• Telling true stories involving those affected by autism and the Tasmanian Police Force.

• Extinguishing derogatory language.

• and more.

"It was an incredibly constructive session, because with autism now affecting 1 in every 100 people, it is likely that once out onto their stations, the Trainee Constables will have multiple experiences with people affected by autism," said Lend a hand to Hugo Founder Luke Williams.

"Nick (Grubb) in particular has been pushing our workshop for a while now. Since becoming an ambassador, he has had a series of incidents whilst on the job that have been easier to handle, because he had that understanding of autism."

Lend a hand to Hugo Ambassador and Tasmanian Police Officer Nicholas Grubb speaks about his experiences.

"The Trainee Constables now have further knowledge about how pick up on social ques, and how to actually identify whether someone may have a disability or other struggles. We really want them to be approachable, and to have that understanding if they are put into a situation." "For someone affected by autism, social environments can be confronting, and if a Police Officer were to mistake them for being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or anything similar, it could cause an incredibly bad experience for that person. This would make it difficult for an individual to approach the Police later on."

Lend a hand to Hugo and the Tasmanian Police Academy will continue to work together in 2018 to ensure there is a large level of knowledge throughout the ranks.