A Chester County autism advocate is on a mission to visit as many police departments as he can to spread awareness on autism spectrum disorder. Alex Mann, 26, from Malvern, Pennsylvania, has spent the last seven and a half years traveling the country, teaching police officials how to interact wit h people on the autism spectrum. As of August 2026, Mann has been to 539 police departments across five states. Mann, who is diagnosed with autism, said he understands how people on the autism spectrum may respond during encounters with law enforcement. He said some people may become overwhelmed by police presence, may not respond to commands like “stop,” or avoid making eye contact with an officer. “Autistic behavior can be, is, misinterpreted by law enforcement. Where really, law enforcement just needs to sort of take a step back and realize that there may be something else going on,” Mann said. Recently, NBC10’s Matt DeLucia joined Mann on one of his visits, this time to the Bridgeton Police Department in New Jersey, where he offered his expertise to the department’s chief and other officers. “Hearing his message, it kind of hit home for me and I just I connected with it. The impact, I’m hoping, is if an officer comes upon an autistic individual, to have a very smooth and hopefully non-harmful or violent interaction with them,” Bridgeton Police patrolman Nicholas Grusemeyer said. Bridgeton Police Chief James Battavio explained that, while trainings are offered to officers at their station, Mann’s perspective is important and helpful to understanding the experiences of individuals on the spectrum. Mann may not have aspirations of becoming a police officer, but his passion for the law motivates him to promote positive changes in law enforcement. “You never know what could happen down the road,” Mann said. ...read more read less