The Brighton Police Department is excited to introduce the Blue Envelope Program as a new tool to help police interact and communicate more effectively with those needing additional accommodations.  

The goal is to increase understanding and reduce the potential for miscommunication with individuals who have an invisible disability. 

Those choosing to participate can fill out the blue envelope with whatever information might be helpful for an officer to know. The envelope will give the officer key information without burdening the community member to explain their needs. Officers have been trained this month in common needs and best practices to support a positive interaction with such community members. 

“This tool seeks to improve outcomes during community member interactions with law enforcement, which is always the goal of the Brighton Police Department. We are proud to participate in this ongoing initiative and bring this program to the Brighton community,” Police Chief Matt Domenico said. 

Participation:  

Any community member may request a blue envelope at the front desk of the Brighton Police Department (3401 E Bromley Ln., Brighton, CO 80601) or have one mailed to you (send an email request with your name and address to kblandin@brightonco.gov). As a collaborative effort, we look forward to further developing the program with feedback from the community. Feedback can be provided to Kerrigan Blandin via her email or by phone at (303) 655-8747. 

• Participation is by request only.
• No participant list or data storage is maintained.

The Envelope (pictured above):

• Recommended to be placed in the glove box of a vehicle.
• Let the officer know you will be handing them the Blue Envelope when the interaction begins.
• Inside the envelope, the participant can include copies of documents: driver's license, registration, insurance, etc. 
• Exterior of the envelope: provides guidance to the driver and the officer, such as tips for officers to remember; participants may list needs or disability information (verbal, medical, or neurological); and optional emergency contact information for those that may wish to have a person contacted in the event of medical episodes. 

Important Reminders:

We believe this program will support more of our community in police interactions, but we also want to be clear about three things: 

• Like all community members, individuals using the blue envelope are still expected to follow the law.
• There could be times when officers still need to use appropriate safety measures, including reasonable use of force, to keep everyone involved safe. 
• This is a new program, and while the City of Brighton officers will be gaining awareness around the blue envelope and what it means, first responders from other agencies or jurisdictions may not recognize the program. 

A sample of the Blue Envelope is included at the top of this news release. We are aware that interactions with officers in circumstances other than traffic stops can also be stressful for those individuals with invisible disabilities, which is why we are soliciting ideas for a similar program to support members of our pedestrian and bicycle communities. Please send any suggestions to kblandin@brightonco.gov or call (303) 655-8747.