AVALON – Autism advocate Alex Mann, 23, paid a second visit to Avalon, June 26, as part of his multiyear effort to help educate police departments in the state on techniques for interacting with individuals who have autism.
Mann, of Malvern, Pennsylvania, was diagnosed in childhood with autism and, as an adult, he made it his mission to help de-escalate the interactions between police and those with autism who may respond differently when confronted by a law enforcement officer.
Mann said he has been at his mission for 4.5 years.
“This was my first swearing-in,” Mann said.
Retiring Mayor Martin Pagliughi swore Mann in as an honorary officer in the Avalon Police Department, making this the last such swearing-in for Pagliughi after a 32-year tenure as mayor.
Mann has visited over 300 municipal police departments in the state, as well as the State Police and other law enforcement agencies. Mann has also imparted his wisdom on interacting with autistic individuals at several police academies.
