By: Mary Beth Almond | Rochester Post | Published October 14, 2025
ROCHESTER — The Rochester Police Department has spearheaded a new initiative designed to improve interactions between law enforcement and those with special needs and other vulnerabilities.
As a mother of a child with autism, Rochester Police Officer Brenna Hogue said she’s all too familiar with the stresses of realizing her daughter had quickly slipped out the door.
“She would wander — I think she got out maybe five times or so. It’s a super quick instance where you turn your back, and all of a sudden, she’s gone. And being a mom, especially for the kiddo that can’t talk, it is so, so scary,” she said. “From that personal experience and my personal experience as a first responder, as a police officer, and dealing with individuals who wander, individuals with dementia, who can’t remember who they are, I knew that there had to be something we could do.”
That’s where the new Special Needs, Autism, Vulnerable Persons, Elderly and Safety program comes in.
Rochester Police Chief George Rouhib and Hogue created the nonprofit initiative built on the belief that everyone deserves to feel safe during moments of crisis or confusion.
“There’s no other city in Michigan that has a program like this,” Rouhib said.
The S.A.V.E.S. program aims to foster understanding, improve communication and inclusion with individuals with unique needs, and ensure the safety of all community members.
The S.A.V.E.S. Project ID provides a way for first responders to identify non-speaking people and those unable to remember critical information. Through the free service, personalized QR-coded stickers are provided for loved ones, which can be affixed to belongings, clothing or devices. This way, if a loved one with autism, dementia or a traumatic brain injury wanders or becomes lost, a trained officer can scan the sticker and access critical information, such as emergency contacts, medical details or special needs.
“We’ve had many calls like that in the last couple of months, where people have wandered off,” Rouhib said. “Through the program, families would register, and they would get these stickers that have personalized QR codes on them. You can put the sticker on a cellphone, laptop, bike seat, a piece of their favorite clothing, a purse, or anything. Once you scan the logo, it pops their photo up and tells you who they are, and it has an emergency contact on there. The goal is to get the person identified as soon as we can and get them home safely.”
The Blue Envelope Program aims to improve interactions between vulnerable individuals and law enforcement. Drivers who are nonverbal, or those with autism, anxiety, or other medical conditions can register for a blue envelope to place on their visor. The envelope holds important documents and information to help first responders interact with an individual’s specific needs in mind.
“For example, we stop people that have low blood sugar. Many officers would treat that person like they were intoxicated, and in fact, they have a medical condition,” he said. “But if they sign up for this program, we would know right away what’s going on and we can adjust the way we approach them. Maybe they need assistance. We can call someone to pick them up — the key is to have a positive interaction with them.”
A S.A.V.E.S decal placed on their rear window notifies law enforcement officers to look for a blue envelope for their unique needs.
“When a police officer sees that decal, it’s a visual cue. The idea is we have to change our mindset from the time we see that sticker to the time we confront them in the car, so we’re going to be more patient, more understanding and empathetic. The goal is to make the traffic stop a positive one,” Rouhib said.
The final step is community outreach. By educating officers and the public about supporting community members with cognitive and developmental challenges, Hogue said the program can spread awareness, understanding and compassionate engagement for all.
“We’re going to do whatever we can to get people registered to help people have more controlled environments and make a difference,” she said.
Rochester residents who want to sign up or donate to the program can visit www.savesproject.com. For more information, email support@savesproject.com or call (810) 328-3074.