Murrieta Police Partner With Local Tech Company to Keep Track of People, Pets

Thumb-sized GPS tracking devices may be the answer to locating wayward pets, kids and seniors, according to the Murrieta Police Department, which is partnering with a local tech firm and organizations to promote a new brand of “personal locator.”

Lt. Tony Conrad said the department has vetted the Yepzon Personal Locator device and found it an effective means to ascertain the whereabouts of people and animals.

“It’s basically like LoJack for a person,” Conrad told Patch of the product, which is now in the hands of some local police officers for training purposes.

“Wandering is the tendency for an individual to leave the safety of a responsible person’s care or a safe area,” Conrad said. “This issue is common among children diagnosed with autism or who have other special needs. It is also common for people with dementia or Alzheimer’s to wander and become lost at some point during the progression of the disease.”

The police department enlisted the assistance of the Temecula-based nonprofit Our Nicholas Foundation, a support organization for families with autistic children, along with the Murrieta Chamber of Commerce to acquire several Yepzon locators that will be furnished at minimum or no cost to financially distressed residents who need them.

Conrad tells Patch that officers in the field will let families know about the product should they come across anyone in need of the device.

The devices, which are the size of electronic key fobs, retail for about $130 each. They can be attached to clothing, jewelry, collars or any other wearable item and are capable of identifying a person’s location every 10 seconds, according to Conrad. They work with a proprietary app that users install on their phones. A data fee applies, depending on how frequently you may “ping” the device.

“Yepzon does not collect any personal data, and you have the ability to share the locator’s user rights with as many people as you want, including law enforcement if assistance is needed in locating your loved ones,” the lieutenant said.

The people over at Yepzon seem eager to work with the city in this venture.

“Yepzon has had the privilege to work with the City of Murrieta, Murrieta Police Department and numerous organizations on the area since August 2015,” Murrieta-based Juha (John) Kiesi told Patch via email. “After extensive research, a decision was made to team up with the community to add the extra layer of security those in most urgent need. With the support of Murrieta Chamber of Commerce and Our Nicholas Foundation, this unique program became possible. We thank community for the continuous support and hope to extend the program across the state and the whole nation.”

Yepson currently has a KickStarter project in the works, to expand the product. In the video below, Temecula resident Jennifer Smith explains how she’s been using the device so far.

Residents seeking to procure a device through the police department should contact Conrad directly at tconrad@murrieta.org. More information is available at www.yepzon.com.

(Images courtesy of Yepzon)

– City News Service contributed to this report.