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Safe Return and Law Enforcement: Saving Lives Together (Video)

NCJ Number
201428
Date Published
2001
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Intended for use in training police officers, this video describes officers' role and responsibilities in participating in the Alzheimer's Associations Safe Return Program, which is designed to ensure the safe return to families of any family member with Alzheimer's disease who wanders away from home.
Abstract
A police chief introduces the video by advising police agencies of the importance of being aware of and participating in the Safe Return Program. This is a nationwide registry and alert network for the identification and recovery of missing persons with Alzheimer's disease. Sponsored by the national and local chapters of Alzheimer's Associations through funding from the Federal Government, the Safe Return Program dispenses identification instruments that Alzheimer's patients can carry or wear on their person for identification by police officers. Persons with these ID's are registered by their families or the police with the national Safe Return registry. The program provides a 24-hour hotline through which Alzheimer's patients can be reported missing. Local, regional, and even national alerts (patients may be driving a car or use other forms of transportation) are dispensed so police will know to look for the missing person. This video provides re-creations of actual cases in which police have participated in the Safe Return Program as a key factor in the identification and safe return of a missing or wandering Alzheimer's patient. The video provides officers with specific instructions for identifying and interacting with an Alzheimer's patient and providing follow-up to refer families to appropriate resources.