Columns: A Winning Sense-ation

Sensory bags bridge communication gap between officers and communityBy Marika CarleyOn an overcast, late April day, a young boy runs along Georgia Avenue—a busy thoroughfare in Montgomery County, Md.,—barely avoiding being hit by passing vehicles. The child is spotted by Sgt. Trevin Sherard, a Montgomery Parks Police officer, who happens to be driving past the scene. Sherard immediately springs into action to help the child. After interacting with the boy, the officer recognizes that the child is nonverbal and likely autistic, so he brings out his sensory bag.