As innovations and changes develop in the police field, new areas and populations, including PwP, must be included. More than 1 million cases of Parkinson’s disease are predicted in the U.S. by 2030. PD is the fastest-growing neurological disorder in the world. According to the World Health Organization, “globally, disability due to PD is rapidly increasing,” which can precipitate more encounters between law enforcement and PwP worldwide. The current article focuses on the United States but could be further adopted worldwide.

As rates grow, so does the need for training and PD awareness for academy trainees and field officers. The likelihood of an encounter or interaction between police and PwP grows as more PwP are diagnosed. Thus, awareness is needed when approaching a PwP in a vehicle, at their home, or in any interaction in daily activities. Creating new policies for training and PD awareness can help policymakers, health program managers and planners, health care providers, researchers, carers, and other stakeholders so that all are informed when PwP and those helping them interact with police.

The impact would benefit PwP, the policing field, and all communities. It will lower national attention of potential incidents through media of potential violations of individual rights; it will improve awareness for PD throughout the country and benefit society as a whole to include PD in basic training for all police academies in the United States as well as offering in-service training for sworn law enforcement officers and administrators. PD can affect anyone, and when it does, it, in turn, affects the family, neighbors, and entire community. The more we become aware, the more likely we can find a cure and better aid trainees, officers, and PwP on the critical relationship needed for professionalism and positive outcomes in any encounter or situation.

There is no downside to bringing attention and awareness to PD in the law enforcement community. The cost is truly minimal. Even adding the term PD, listing symptoms, and defining PD in all training manuals at the police academies, and adding the term and definition to sworn officer training, manuals, and Standard Operating Procedures would help change how officers react and proceed during encounters with PwP. If needed, the passing of legislation in every state to incorporate information about PD into all police department training and manuals would immeasurably improve police-PwP relations. The initiative needs to be nationwide.

The signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

Approximately one out of every 336 people are living with PD. That number has increased in the past decades and will continue to increase. With a new diagnosis every six minutes, and approximately 90,000 new diagnoses in the U.S. per year, the numbers as we know them today, are daunting.

PD is the fastest-growing neurological disorder around the world. Given these statistics, the possibility of a police encounter with a person with PD is likely. This is why officers need to be trained and prepared. Each situation is different and can escalate rapidly from a minor situation to a highly detrimental one escalate rapidly if the officer is not aware of the signs and symptoms of PwP.

Where is police training for Parkinson’s

As part of the research for this article, I contacted police academies in all 50 states throughout the United States: Alabama, California, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York City, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. Some did not respond, but others provided valuable information on the lack of awareness for PwP. I asked how they incorporate or if they mention PD in their training for new recruits, police cadets, or in-service training for sworn officers.

Law enforcement officers’ experiences with people with Parkinson’s

I wanted to learn about police officers’ experiences with people with Parkinson’s disease. When I contacted the many city police departments, county sheriffs, and federal agencies, as mentioned, some did not respond, and others were forthright enough to admit they did not understand PD and needed to. When I explained the purpose of this article, some affirmed that this project would provide groundbreaking research on this critical topic. They gave me permission to administer a questionnaire and speak to police officers who volunteered and were kind enough to share their experiences with PD.

Out of the 25 interviewees, titles included detective, K-9 officer, SWAT member, lieutenant, commander, sergeant, and patrol officer. Most had over 10 years of police experience, and others were close to retirement, with over 15 years of service. Almost all, 23, were unaware of PD and believed they did not encounter a PwP but said they would be unaware if they had, even if briefly. Two were aware of Parkinson’s disease because of family or friends but not because of their work as an officer. One officer said he did have an encounter with a PwP and because he had a family member with the disease, he was slightly aware of the symptoms. Most, 23, stated they had had no training in Parkinson’s disease or any related training with PwP either in the police academy or as sworn officers with yearly training for recertification. All officers, 25, stated that Parkinson’s disease was never mentioned during academy training or during recertification.

Observations

These interviews show that the officers overwhelmingly agreed that their academies and departments offered no training in Parkinson’s disease. Whatever the officers knew about PD came from personal experience with family and friends. Many were aware of possible detrimental outcomes from officers’ mistaken judgments about the PD citizen (e.g., being drunk or high).

The officers also overwhelmingly agreed that PD training should be given in both the academy and in-service courses. Again, these responses show the necessity of this project; more attention needs to be paid to PD, PwP, and police training for best community relationships.

People with Parkinson’s experiences with law enforcement officers

As I wanted to learn firsthand about police officers’ experiences with people with Parkinson’s disease, I also wanted to know about more PwP experiences. I contacted many advocates, foundations, organizations, and PwP and posted advertisements on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, and Threads, to see if PwP would be willing to share their experiences, positive or negative. I explained that participation would involve a questionnaire and interview asking about their experiences. And I assured them that, if they chose, their responses would be anonymous.

Many PwPs responded describing their experiences, but they were not comfortable sharing their interactions or names, although some participated anonymously. The number of responses was low, but this was expected because of the need for privacy, fear of possible public retaliation, and potential exposure. Policing and community interactions in addition to PD have been topics in the media during the past decade. Although the purpose has been to increase awareness, many people still feel uneasy telling about their experiences. The interviews took place from October 2023 to September 2024, a lengthy time period because many PwP were uncertain about participating, fearing becoming known as PwP or retaliation by coworkers. I provided introductions to some individuals to help them feel more at ease and for better orientation.

Conclusions

This article has been a labor of love; love for my mother, who suffered for 15 years with Parkinson’s disease, and love for my police training and fellow officers. The article has also been a labor of dedication to the millions of Parkinson’s disease people who valiantly fight daily and deserve respect and admiration from police officers. As recounted above, through rigorous research into studies, databases, and websites, I found that very little information is available on policing and PD or simply does not exist. These facts alone support the need for additional research and studies on PwP and policing. I also contacted many police departments throughout the United States, and many of my inquiries attested that the police departments were hardly aware of PD and that training is critically needed now.

Because someone is diagnosed with PD does not make them any less of a citizen or person. They should be treated with compassion, dignity, and care by the law enforcement community. On the other side, PwP must know how to respond to an officer’s actions, commands, or encounters. The PwP must also recognize that not all officers are familiar with PD’s symptoms and therefore should have the appropriate materials to document their illness, such as the medical alert card and/or bracelet.

The law enforcement community should open their arms on this topic rather than ignore or be standoffish because it will benefit officers, communities, PwP, and their families. Many, not their fault, are not aware. PD affects communities; not only one individual but also the police serve the community. A community policing relationship can be born and genuinely shape the future of the field in encounters with the Parkinson’s disease community.

We have seen scenarios of an officer encountering someone who could have PD who was exhibiting shaking, tremors, and poor communication. Some officers, often not sure what to do because of lack of familiarity with PD, may contact EMTs (emergency medical technicians), but this contact may be traumatic for the PwP. For situations that called for EMT, my patrol training included diabetic shock with those suffering from low blood sugar. During my academy courses, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease were mentioned. However, no mention of PD, training for PD, or awareness of symptoms such as movement disorders was given.

Law enforcement obviously has many important areas to handle, and most officers are dedicated and do their best. However, as a reserve officer and son who lost his mother due to PD, I am pointing to an exception that needs more attention because I feel responsible for bringing very needed awareness of police to PD. I believe awareness could help with training, critically assist in bringing attention to changes in public policy and police department procedures across the United States, certainly help police-PwP relationships, and potentially save lives. Experiences shared by police in the field with PwP and significant police academy policymakers joining together would benefit all those involved.

It is likely that recruits and newly sworn officers would not be aware of all issues that can arise, but the specialized divisions, community officers, and higher-ranking officials can easily include in all training information the words Parkinson’s disease and a one-sentence definition of the symptoms. Even such token references would encourage officers’ awareness of this critical topic and protect PwP for a disease that affects over 1 million citizens and is growing exponentially throughout the United States.

George Ackerman is a patient advocate and author of A Son’s Journey: From Parkinson’s Disease Caregiver to Advocate.