Missing Persons with Dementia and Developmental Disabilities Tracking Technology Program

The Folsom Police Department’s Mission is to serve with purpose, relentlessly pursue criminal behavior, and proactively foster positive relationships. Our vision is to be a premier law enforcement agency by investing in our community and ourselves through progressive outreach programs, training opportunities, and technological advances.

The Folsom Police Department will be the lead applicant in the Reducing Injury and Death of Missing Individuals with Dementia and Developmental Disabilities Program. Our department utilizes all resources to assist in the location of a missing person. The Folsom Fire Department will serve as the partner applicant in this program due to its emergency medical designation and the City of Folsom’s missing persons response procedure which involves a united effort to locate these individuals. Both the Police and Fire Departments employ a person-centered approach that minimizes restrictive interventions and has a direct link to individuals and families of individuals with forms of dementia or developmental disabilities. Some of these individuals are already enrolled in the progressive location assistance services we offer: H.E.L.P. (Help Every Lost Person), Project Lifesaver, and Vitals Aware Services. Unfortunately, many Folsom residents are unaware of these services that may benefit them. With the assistance of grant funding, we plan to address the problem by raising awareness and purchasing and providing tracking technology “tool kits” for those individuals who are identified as being at risk and wish to voluntarily participate in the Department’s program. These tool kits will include the offering of enrollment in the three assistance programs already offered as well as tracking technology such as a Project Lifesaver transmitter band and/or Vitals beacon. Additionally, we intend to partner with Ring video doorbells and offer their products to qualified residents as part of the tool kit.

Folsom Police Department will assist the OJP in developing best practices for these noninvasive and nonpermanent tracking methods. The goal of this proactive program is to purchase, develop, and implement locally based tracking technology for individuals with forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease or developmental disabilities such as autism or Down’s Syndrome, who, due to their condition, wander from safe environments. With additional funding we plan to expand our assistance programs to ensure the safety and reduce the incidence of wandering persons, facilitate their rescue and recovery, and recognize or respond appropriately to calls involving these individuals. The total amount of funding requested is $121,491.00.