Baltimore Police Launch Neurodivergent Database for Safer Interactions | The Locally Times
Baltimore Police rolled out a database for neurodivergent residents on April 1, but refuse to disclose what data it collects, who is included, or how officers will use it.
Baltimore Police launched a new database on April 1, 2026, intended to track neurodivergent residents and improve interactions with law enforcement. Yet, the department has kept key details about the system — including what information it stores, who is included, and how officers will use it — entirely secret, raising immediate concerns about privacy and transparency. ## Initiative Aims for Improved Interactions The BPD timed the database's launch with World Autism Acceptance Month and World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, a period dedicated to fostering understanding and acceptance of autism. The department frames the initiative as a proactive step to support neurodivergent individuals, aiming to foster more positive and secure encounters between officers and residents. It seeks to equip officers with expanded tools for tailored law enforcement interactions, according to its press release. ## Database Details Remain Undisclosed Despite the database's April 1 launch, the Baltimore Police Department has released no operational specifics. The BPD's press release fails to detail the system's exact functionalities, including what specific information it will store. Crucially, the department has not outlined the criteria for individuals to be included in the database, nor has it provided any information on how individuals or their families can register for inclusion or opt out. Furthermore, the BPD has not specified how law enforcement officers will access the database or what training officers will receive regarding its use and appropriate interaction protocols with neurodivergent individuals. These significant omissions leave the full scope of the database's implementation, its impact on privacy, and its data management practices entirely unknown. ## Broader Context of Department Activities The Neurodivergent Individuals Database emerges amidst a flurry of other BPD public safety announcements. On March 26, the department reported significant drug seizures and arrests in the Southwest District. More recently, on April 3, the BPD announced a homicide arrest in the Northwest District, linked to a fatal shooting on March 31. The department also issued a media advisory on April 1 concerning a shooting incident on North Eutaw Street. A police-involved shooting near Pennsylvania Avenue on April 2 prompted a public statement from Mayor Brandon M. Scott, who directed the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement to activate a Coordinated Neighborhood Stabilization Response. These concurrent announcements underscore the city's ongoing public safety concerns and the BPD's active role across various initiatives.