Sunny Isles Beach Police Department Turns Awareness Into Action, Achieves Certified Autism Center™ Designation

Two police officers stand beside a Sunny Isles Beach police SUV with autism awareness graphics on a sunny day.

Children interacting with a female police officer at an outdoor event with a blue table and art supplies.

Police SUV in Sunny Isles Beach with colorful autism awareness puzzle piece graphics on the sides and rear.

Sunny Isles Beach Ocean Rescue Division, part of the Sunny Isles Beach PD’s certification, is the 1st Ocean Rescue Division in Florida to complete this training

Becoming a Certified Autism Center™ is about making sure every person who interacts with our officers feels understood, respected, and safe.”

— Chief Eddie Santiago, Sunny Isles Beach PD

SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FL, UNITED STATES, April 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) has designated the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department and Ocean Rescue Division as a Certified Autism Center™ (CAC), recognizing their commitment to better serving and engaging with autistic and sensory-sensitive individuals in the community.

To earn the CAC designation, at least 80% of Sunny Isles Beach Police Department and Ocean Rescue personnel completed industry-specific training to enhance their ability to assist, support, and communicate with autistic and sensory-sensitive community members. The Sunny Isles Beach Ocean Rescue Division, as part of the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department’s CAC certification, is the first Ocean Rescue Division in Florida to complete this training. This
certification demonstrates a proactive commitment to equipping staff with the tools and training needed to respond with empathy and confidence, especially when interacting with individuals with autism, sensory sensitivities and their families.

“Becoming a Certified Autism Center™ is about making sure every person who interacts with our officers feels understood, respected, and safe,” said Chief Eddie Santiago, Sunny Isles Beach PD. “This training gives our department the tools to better recognize, communicate with, and support individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. It strengthens trust in our community and helps our officers respond with greater awareness, patience, and professionalism–because effective policing starts with understanding the people we serve.”

“True community safety goes beyond response; it’s about understanding. Through this certification, Sunny Isles Beach Police Department is redefining what it means to serve and protect. This achievement reflects a deep commitment to meeting individuals where they are, ensuring interactions are guided by awareness, empathy, and respect,” said Myron Pincomb, IBCCES board chairman. “The department’s efforts will have a lasting impact, not only strengthening trust within their community, but also creating a more inclusive environment where individuals with autism and sensory sensitivities can feel genuinely supported.”

In addition to trained staff, Sunny Isles Beach Police Department also offers the Autism Outreach Program, which is designed to better serve community members with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The program prepares responding officers for situations involving individuals with ASD, supporting appropriate and effective handling of each incident. It also maintains a voluntary database of individuals with ASD and provides decals for participants’ vehicles and homes. Sensory activations are also available at select city events for individuals with ASD.

For 25 years, IBCCES has been a leader in providing autism, sensory and neurodiversity training and certification for professionals worldwide, including those in healthcare, education, public safety, travel, and corporate sectors. As the only credentialing board offering these programs, IBCCES provides training from subject matter experts and autistic self-advocates, along with long-term support, continuous learning, onsite reviews, and renewal requirements to ensure continued growth and lasting impact.

To further support inclusivity efforts, Sunny Isles Beach Police Department is featured on the IBCCES Accessibility App, which is free to download. This app provides individuals with a variety of disabilities real-time guidance on certified destinations, sensory-friendly spaces, and tailored recommendations. By connecting users to accessible locations worldwide, the app helps ensure seamless, enjoyable experiences for everyone.

IBCCES also provides access to resources such as AccessibilityCertified.com and AutismTravel.com, which are free online tools for families that list certified locations and professionals. Each organization listed on the site has met IBCCES certification requirements.

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About the City of Sunny Isles Beach
Located on a barrier island in northeast Miami-Dade County, the City of Sunny Isles Beach has transformed into a world-class destination over the past two decades. With a population of more than 22,900 residents, the City is known for its cultural diversity and features 11 parks within its 1.78 square miles, including the iconic Newport Fishing Pier. Sunny Isles Beach is also home to the A-rated Norman S. Edelcup/Sunny Isles Beach K-8 School. Learn more at sibfl.gov.

About IBCCES
Delivering the global standard for training and certification in the fields of autism, neurodiversity, and accessibility – IBCCES provides a series of certification programs that empower professionals to be industry leaders and improve the outcomes for the individuals they serve. For 25 years, IBCCES has been a global leader, setting the industry standard in autism and cognitive differences training. IBCCES works in over 111 countries and provides training in 8 languages, and its programs have been recognized around the world as the leading benchmark in training and certification.

In addition to individual certification programs, IBCCES partners with cities, destinations, and organizations on initiatives like the Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) and Autism Certified City™ (ACC), ensuring autistic and sensory-sensitive residents and visitors feel welcomed and
safe. Destinations that achieve the CAD designation have completed a specialized program that ensures a multitude of recreation, hospitality and entertainment organizations have completed an autism and sensory-sensitivity training, certification and IBCCES facilities review process. The ACC designation expands on that program and includes IBCCES training and certification for the public safety, education, healthcare and workplace sectors.

IBCCES also created the Accessibility App, AutismTravel.com, and AccessibilityCertified.com – free resources for individuals with a variety of neurodiversities and disabilities, listing certified locations and connecting individuals to other resources and each other.

Meredith Tekin
IBCCES
+1 904-508-0135
marketing@ibcces.org
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