Special Needs Registry

The Special Needs Registry is an initiative with the Maitland Police Department to improve interactions with individuals who have special needs. 

Residents are invited to provide information about a loved one with special needs due to age, limited mobility or medical conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alzheimer’s or Dementia, Bipolar Disorder, and Down Syndrome. Adults with special needs may also enroll independently. None of the fields on the form are mandatory and the information you choose to disclose is completely voluntary.

Who is eligible?

The registry is developed to better understand and serve all members (adult or juvenile) of our community who have a “special need” that should be considered during calls for assistance.  Citizens enrolling in the program must reside in the City of Maitland/Maitland Police Department jurisdiction.    

Registration Procedures:

To register applicants, their parents or guardians complete the voluntary Special Needs Registry form below. Forms can be completed online, dropped off at the Police Department, requested to be picked up by an officer, or e-mailed to the Police Department at communitypolicing@maitlandpd.org. Parents and caregivers may enroll any person of any age with any type of medical condition or disability, including but not limited to: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alzheimer’s or Dementia, Bipolar Disorder, and Down Syndrome. Adults with special needs may also enroll themselves.

What happens once the person is registered?

Participants will receive a Maitland Police Department vinyl decal to display on or near the front door of your home. When a police officer has contact with a person listed on the registry, our 9-1-1 center can provide useful information to help the officer successfully interact and communicate with your loved one. The registry can also provide the parent or caregiver’s emergency contact information.

How will this registry help if my family member is missing?

If the registered individual is reported missing by the parent/guardian, our responding police officers have easy access to their information through the Special Needs Registry. Knowing an individual’s special needs (including triggers, stimulants, and de-escalation techniques) greatly assists our officers in locating your loved one, and safely handling an encounter. If the individual is not reported missing, but otherwise is contacted by our police officers, a computer query of our Special Needs Registry may allow us to quickly identify and reunite you with your loved one.

Who has access to my family member’s profile?

Maitland Police personnel who require this information in the performance of their official duties will have access to the information. This information may be shared with other first responders during an emergency situation, or if the registered person is missing within another jurisdiction. There are strict regulations with respect to accessing and disseminating this information.

Can I update my profile if there are changes? How do I do that?

Information can be updated anytime it might bring a significant impact on our policing response. Some examples would include a change in address, or change in emergency contact information. Changes can be made by contacting the Maitland Police Department Community Policing unit at communitypolicing@maitlandpd.org, or by submitting a new registration form.

As soon as I register, will the information be immediately available to responding police officers?

No. The content from the registration form must be entered into our internal Maitland Police Department database, and then forwarded to our emergency 9-1-1 Dispatch center. The process may take up to two weeks to finalize.

Special Needs Registry

  1. Personal Information

    Please input the personal information of the special needs individual below.

  2. Residential Information
  3. Parent or Guardian Information
  4. Additional Contact Information (First)
  5. Additional Contact Information (Second)
  6. Registry Information: Disability/Special Needs/Medical Needs:

    Please input the personal information of the special needs individual below.

  7. (Examples include sensory issues, certain behaviors, physical aggression, calming strategies, trigger mechanisms, audio or visual aids, or previous dealings with police.)

  8. (Examples include words, pictures, electronic devices, etc.)

  9. Check One
  10. STATEMENT REGARDING RELEASE OF SPECIAL NEEDS REGISTRY INFORMATION

    I acknowledge and fully understand:

    1) That this Special Needs Registration is a “public record” as defined by Section 119.011, Florida Statutes, and as such is subject to disclosure as permitted or required by the Public Records Act (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes);

    2) That state law does not afford this Special Needs Registration, or related information provided to the City, with confidential or exempt status which would authorize the City to redact certain information or refuse the release of such information;

    3) That federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA) privacy protections do not protect health information from release by the City because the City is not a “covered entity” under HIPAA for purposes of this registry; and

    4) That given the aforementioned, I have no expectation of privacy in the information provided to the City on this form.

  11. STATEMENT REGARDING PURPOSE OF SPECIAL NEEDS REGISTRY

    I acknowledge and fully understand:

    1) That the information I am providing to the City of Maitland (“City”) for the Maitland Police Department Special Needs Registry (“Special Needs Registry”) will be maintained in a database readily accessible to law enforcement officers and first responders so that it may assist such officers when responding to calls for service;

    2) That by enrolling myself or someone else in the Maitland Police Department’s Special Needs Registry, the personal information provided may be used by emergency personnel including, but not limited to, law enforcement officers, emergency medical services (first aid/paramedics), and fire department personnel in the event of an emergency situation; and

    3) That completion of this form and participation in the Maitland Special Needs Registry is voluntary. Participation in the Special Needs Registry does not guarantee and is not intended to create, convey or warrant, either expressly or impliedly, certain outcomes, rights, duties, promises, benefits, or special treatment based on the information provided to the Maitland Police Department upon registration and participation in this program.

  12. RELEASE AND HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT

    For participation in this Special Needs registry, I, individually or on behalf of the registered person, as applicable, hereby waive, release, discharge, and hold harmless the City from and against all claims, losses, damages, personal injuries (including but not limited to death), or liability (including reasonable attorney’s fees), which directly or indirectly arise out of or result from any act or failure to act based on information received through the voluntary Special Needs Registry or which relates to the dissemination of information received through the voluntary Special Needs Registry.

    I represent by signing below that the information provided is truthful, and that I am authorized to submit it on my own behalf or as the parent or legal guardian with authority to submit it on behalf of another.

  13. Leave This Blank:

  14. This field is not part of the form submission.