5-State Police Department Tour Raises Autism Awareness

LOWER SOUTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP, PA —Alex Mann is a man on a mission.

For the past four years, the 22-year-old Malvern resident has traveled across five states spreading the message of his mission to raise awareness about autism.

It's a never-ending tour with stops at police departments throughout New Jersey, Delaware, California, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

He's visited most police departments in Lower Bucks County, including a stop earlier this month at the Lower Southampton Township Police Department.

Mann, who is diagnosed with autism, started his journey in October 2018. He usually spends about a half hour or so taking a tour of the police department, seeing the police cars and meeting police officers and offering them some tips and advice.

"I really just had an idea that I wanted to show police I was there for them," Mann told Patch during a phone interview Thursday. "I wanted to educate them on how they can interact better with people in the spectrum."

The Lower Southampton Police Department was pleased with the visit.

"Alex stopped by our HQ and spoke with Chief John Krimmel and Lt. Matt Bowman about his experience with being autistic and offering the police some insight when interactions occur," the department stated in a press release. "Nice meeting with you Alex!"

The department was Mann's 242nd stop. He's lined up nine more visits and is booked up through mid-November. You can read more about Alex on his Facebook page.

"I just want to try and hit as many police departments as I can," he said. "Sometimes it's very eye-opening. No matter where I go, I just try to roll with the punches. There are good parts and bad parts and people of all different styles. You just need to accept who they are and they're personalities."