The Racine Police Department is becoming proactive---and---groundbreaking---when it comes to locating people suffering from autism---Alzheimer’s---or---dementia---who go missing.
In partnership with the Racine County Aging & Disability Resource Center---and---the Volunteer Center of Racine---Racine police have developed a first-of-its-kind-in-this-area form---filled out in advance by caregivers and parents---that helps them and other First Responders identify people who go missing---and---informs them about their special needs. With that form---in hand---they can then care for people who are lost---or---found---who cannot communicate or may not be able to fully care for themselves.
The form was developed through extensive research as well as discussions with care-givers---parents---and---other police departments.Sergeant Steve Herold said this alert form allows police dispatchers to get information instantaneously because they don’t need an access code from a care-giver that is required in the Safe Assured program---which maintains child and senior ID kits.
The Kenosha Police Department has---what they call a Walk Away form---but---that gets filled out after the fact. Nothing similar to Racine’s program seems to be in place in any Walworth County law enforcement agency.