08/29/2026
The West Orange Police Department is pleased to announce that it has received a $2,500 community grant from West Orange Walmart Store #777 to purchase Carter Kits for every police unit in the department.
Carter Kits are sensory bags containing clinically approved comfort items - things like noise-reducing headphones, weighted lap pads, fidget tools, and communication cards to name a few - designed to calm and reassure a child who is overwhelmed, frightened, or in crisis. They were created in 2019 by a police detective whose son, Carter, is on the autism spectrum, after he recognized that officers arriving on scene had no tool to help a child with special needs. Today more than 24,000 kits are in service across 44 states.
Officers frequently respond to calls involving children on the autism spectrum, children with sensory processing differences, and children who have just witnessed or experienced something traumatic. In those moments, lights, sirens, radios, and unfamiliar uniforms can make an already difficult situation worse. A Carter Kit gives our officers something to offer immediately - a way to lower the temperature, establish trust, and communicate with a child who may not be able to respond to words alone.
With this grant, a Carter Kit will be carried in every West Orange patrol unit, so the resource is available on the first call, not the second.
The West Orange Police Department extends its sincere appreciation to West Orange Walmart and to the associates at Store #777 for investing in the children and families of our community. Partnerships like this one allow our officers to serve with both authority and compassion, and we are grateful for the support.
