Alzheimer's Association Wandering and Safety Response Initiative

This program is funded under both the Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program (Byrne Competitive Program) and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. Authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pub. L. 111-8), the Byrne Competitive Program helps local communities improve the capacity of state and local justice systems and provides for national support efforts including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address local needs. The JAG Program (42 U.S.C. 3751(a)) is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions, and JAG funds support all components of the criminal justice system. The JAG Program authorization also states that 'the Attorney General may reserve not more than 5 percent, to be granted to 1 or more States or units of local government, for 1 or more of the purposes specified in section 3751 of this title, pursuant to his determination that the same is necessary'(1) to combat, address, or otherwise respond to precipitous or extraordinary increases in crime, or in a type or types of crime' (42 U.S.C. 3756). This program is also funded in part by the Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Assistance Program (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2009 PUB. L. 111-8), which provides funds to defray the cost of planning, designing, establishing, and operating locally based, proactive programs to protect and locate missing patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and other missing elderly individuals.

The National Initiatives: Enhancing Law Enforcement Program, administered by the Office of Justice Programs' (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), helps improve criminal justice systems and provides national programs and national efforts such as training and technical assistance to strategically address the needs of state and local justice systems and communities

The Alzheimers Disease And Related Disorders Association (Alzheimers Assocation) will develop or enhance a national outreach program to increase awareness among law enforcement agencies and the public in addressing the needs of missing persons with Alzheimer's disease. Law enforcement agencies expend countless hours annually searching for missing persons with Alzheimer's disease, and if not found quickly, they are at high risk of serious injury or even death. In addition, law enforcement officers may not be trained or equipped to handle the special needs of those with Alzheimer's, once they are found. The Alzheimer's Association will partner with national level law enforcement and Alzheimer's disease associations to address this issue. They will provide a web site that serves as a national clearinghouse of information and resources for those involved with missing persons. The Alzheimer's Association will develop and sustain a national registry for persons living with Alzheimer's disease or other form of dementia, develop and implement a process for aiding in the location of lost persons with Alzheimer's disease, provide training and substantive informational material to law enforcement agencies through a national or regional initiative. They will also support the development of a model policy that can be implemented nationwide by law enforcement agencies.

CA/NCF