Waterloo Police wraps patrol car for Autism Awareness Month

WATERLOO, Iowa (KCRG) - The Waterloo Police Department has decorated a patrol car to show support for those in the autism community.

The message is personal for Melissa Lippert, who has a 16-year-old son on the spectrum. “We respond to numerous calls in the community of children wandering, or other calls of children or adults with autism. So we thought it would be a way we could reach out to the community and let them know that we support them,” says Lippert, who is a detective with the Waterloo Police Department.

She says her son has made her a better officer. “It’s obviously made me resilient. You have to be to be more patient, more understanding. So yeah, it’s it’s helps me when responding to calls, not only calls with mental health or those on the spectrum, just overall,” says Lippert.

School Resource Officer Caleb Christiansen has a 13-year-old son who’s on the spectrum. He says the public display means a lot to Waterloo families. “You know, being in the community, you meet kids with autism and you meet other families and you’re able to find things that work for them and try to use those things with your own child. And vice versa. We’ve given advice to other families. So being open and honest with other families is is crucial for helping each other out because everybody’s situation is different,” says Christiansen.

Lippert and Christiansen say they’re proud of the department for showing their support. “We want the community to know that we care and that we want to have good outcomes,” says Lippert.

The Waterloo Police Foundation, a nonprofit, paid for the wrap.

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