A police department tour, a drone demonstration and a glimpse of the high-tech shooting range enthralled the students enrolled in Judson University’s special needs education program, but it also taught them important lifesaving skills, according to the police officer who organized the special police academy.

Chad Benavidez was a junior at Judson when the Elgin-based university launched the RISE progaram, so he was not only familiar with the certified two-year transition program but knew people who were part of it when he was in school.

The Joliet native, who studied psychology and criminal justice, joined the Elgin Police Department five years ago. As an afternoon patrol officer, Benavidez does follow-up visits with people who have been assisted by the department’s Collaborative Crisis Services Unit, which responds to emergency calls involving mental health crises, addiction problems, homelessness and other issues.

One of people he visited was a Judson special needs student who was struggling with mental health issues stemming from living away from her parents, he said.

“When the police and ambulance ended up coming, she got anxious and scared. All the lights and sirens freaked her out,” Benavidez said.

Seeing what she went through gave him the idea of doing something to make encounters between police and RISE students less traumatic, he said.

“People with disabilities are far more likely to encounter police in their lives, statistically. If that’s the case, they should be prepared,” Benavidez said.

RISE works with special needs adults who age out of transitional programs offered through public schools at age 22, meaning “they no longer have options for programming through school,” Program Director Gineen Vargas said.

The students participating in Judson’s program live on campus and are taught life skills and how to live independently by having a college experience, Vargas said. They complete internships and are helped in finding jobs.

Since starting five years ago, they’ve had 45 students graduate with a certificate in liberal arts, she said.

RISE stands for Road to Independent living, Spiritual formation and Employment, Vargas said. As part of the program, the students participate in workshops on subjects like healthy living, creating good mental health habits and technology, she said.

When Benavidez suggested holding a policy academy-type program for students, Vargas embraced the idea.

The first was held last September, with about 15 to 20 students attending every Wednesday night. Benavidez used department’s traditional police academy curriculum but tweaked it for the students.

Among the things they were taught was what to do if stopped by the police, how to call 911 and what constitutes an emergency. He also spent a lot of time assuring RISE students that officers who respond to 911 calls are there to help, not arrest them.

By talking and building relationships with students, “we calm those fears,” Benavidez said.

One of the key skills a police officer must have is the ability to talk to people, he said.

“Most people just want to be able to vent and if you give them an ear, a lot of things can be resolved just by talking and being patient,” Benavidez said.

But it can be challenging to communicate with special needs children or adults during an emergency call, he said. If an officer asks someone with autism their name, the person may not understand or may not be able to speak or may start repeating the question, he said.

As a result, an officer could view the response as uncooperative, which could cause issues, he said.

Benavidez also created identification cards for the students to carry that include their name, address, emergency contact and “triggers,” such as flashing lights or loud noises. If a student is stopped, they can show their personalized card to an officer, he said.

The workshops also provided hands-on opportunities for students.

“He brought goggles that showed what it’s like being inebriated and how (alcohol) changes your senses,” Vargas said, who described Benavidez as very personable and “phenomenal.”

RISE students also had a tour of the police department, learned about crime scene investigations and got a peek inside a holding cell, she said.

The policy academy will continue this fall, said Benavidez, whose career goal is to join the police department’s Collaborative Crisis Services Unit. He’s in the process of doing more research into policing topics, and plans to incorporate some of the things students enjoyed doing while switching it up with new information, he said.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.