Framingham Police Offering Free Technology To Help Individuals with Dementia & Disabilities Be Located When They Go Missing

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FRAMINGHAM – Six in 10 people living with dementia will wander at least once, and many do so repeatedly, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Of those who wander away via walking, more than 50% are found within 1 mile of their home and 75% within 5 miles. But not all are found alive.

A 2021 study, found that 75% of older adults with dementia died after going missing due to hypothermia or drowning.

Another study reported that persons who died after going missing were more likely to get lost at night, when it is hard to see them.

And a 2011 study, found that those missing for more than a day are more likely to be found not alive.

Framingham Police have found a way to decease those statistics, with a new drone and watch program.

And Framingham residents can participate for free thanks to a grant.

Framingham Police Officer Ryan Porter applied for a grant from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance.

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The $123,000 grant from the Kevin & Avonte Program is designed to help police departments develop programs to prevent deaths and injuries to those with dementia or even children or other individuals with developmental disabilities, explained Officer Porter.

With the grant money, Framingham Police purchased about 70 SafetyNet wristwatches, which are tech-enabled, and drones that can track these watches when an elderly dementia patient goes missing or a child with disabilities wanders off.

“This can help find a missing child too. Remember the case in Lowell, where the young child was missing. They couldn’t find him for about three days. We’ve had multiple instances here in Framingham of missing children, and we’ve been lucky, but this program is to make sure we don’t get lucky and find people quicker,” said Officer Porter.

“The technology is through a company called SafetyNet,” said Officer Porter.

We want families to sign up loved ones to wear the watches, said Officer Porter.

“Framingham Police is not tracking these individuals, as the watches, only emit a radio frequency upon activation. Framingham Police does not activate them, safetyNet does when an individual is reported missing,” said Officer Porter.

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“Normally, the cost is $16 a month. However, with this program, they’re provided at no cost to the end user.Framingham Police purchased the cost of the watches, We pay for everything for the whole life of the watch, which depending on how they’re treated, is like three to five years. SafetyNet will provide new batteries every six months. Overtime, they’ll do periodic checkups, with the client base to make sure they’re wearing it, if they have any questions,” explained Officer Porter, who is overseeing the program with Officer Keith Strange.

“SafetyNet maintains the database. The police department doesn’t maintain the database of who the customers are. The goal right now is to get the community familiar with the program so they will enroll loved ones – children to seniors, in the program,” said Officer Porter.

“So when a family member comes in or calls us to their house to report them missing, we get like a full packet of information that has a current photograph, descriptions, places they like to go, maybe like their old addresses, because sometimes we find people at their old addresses. Anything that could help us locate them is all included in this packet,” said Officer Porter.

SafetyNet has a “unique identifier code for each individual. That is activated when they go missing. We enter that code to track down the individual,” explained Officer Porter.

Framingham Police gave SOURCE a demonstration of the program last week in Farm Pond Park.

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A police officer hid one of the wristwatches in a tree branch along the shore of the pond, about a quarter mile away.

Framingham Police Officer Zachary Devlin used the drone to track the location of the black wristwatch.

It took him mere minutes.

“Without the watch, we could have searched for hours to find a missing person here,” said Officer Porter, “and that is only if we knew he was here at Farm Pond. What if we didn’t know where he was? What if he had fallen into the water? Minutes can be life saving if that is the case. This can even track under water.”

“Let’s say a family member reports a loved one missing. We then call and they say they’re a SafetyNet customer. We then call SafetyNet. They’ll give us the packet with all the information as well as the unique identifier code, which is actually their radio frequency. We’ll plug that into this and it’ll immediately begin emitting a signal. And unlike GPS, which doesn’t work under water, because the signals get all confused, this will work under water. It’s based on radio frequency up to nine feet, which as you know, people with dementia, Alzheimer’s, autism water tends to almost be like a magnet, which is why this technology is very important. We have the ability to, to get into the water and find these people,” explained Officer Porter.

“Basically, it works off of triangulation. So we have three of these sets. Mass State Police has like 20 or 25 of them available. They have special teams that’ll get activated. They also have them on all three of the airwings. So the three helicopters will come out. Those guys have a range, I believe, up to 10 miles. We have a car- mounted unit, which, is about a 3-mile range. All of this helps us narrow into a small focus area to take out the drone you just saw Officer Devlin use walking in this area to locate the watch,” explained Officer Porter.

Families interested in getting a wristwatch, at no charge, can contact Officer Porter at rdp@framinghamma.gov

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Below are some success stories from those who are part of the SafetyNet program

In October of 2019, Sharon Police in Massachusetts received a 9-1-1 call reporting a missing woman with dementia . She was on the SafetyNet program. “Having access to the SafetyNet database dispatch informed cruisers on the road of places to check while the tracking equipment was getting ready to be deployed. In 12 minutes Deputy Chief Don Brewer said 12 minutes from call to relocation, that is what we call a wonderful outcome.”

On Friday, Oct 4, in 2019 “three individuals enrolled in the SafetyNet Program in two states went missing. All three individuals were located in under one hour each with two being found within minutes of being reported missing thanks to an immediate notification to 911, quick actions by family members and caregivers, and quick response by law enforcement. At about 6:15 PM on Friday evening, an 11-year-old boy with autism went missing in Western Massachusetts and was located within five minutes. At about 7:00 PM, a 79-year-old woman with dementia went missing in Boca Raton, FL and was found in about ten minutes and at about 7:30 PM, a 68-year-old man with dementia went missing in the Greater Boston area and was located in under an hour. SafetyNet saves search agencies time, money and manpower and provides peace of mind to caregivers. It is also a proven lifesaver,” said SafetyNet.

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In September of 2019, a “Plymouth County Sheriff was first to arrive on scene at 0803 hours. Sheriff activated the SafetyNet equipment and was able to locate client sitting on the river bank of the Taunton River Bridge on Route 18, approximately 1.5 miles from the place last seen.”

In July of 2021, WeymouthPolice had three Officers in the area searching for a missing person. mass State Police were dispatched with tracking devices. Mass State Police “Sgt Cameron located the subject after following a signal from the tracking device. The subject was located in the woods a hundred yards from his group Home. The subject wasn’t injured and was escorted back to the his group home.”