Tewksbury Police Launch Program To Find People Who Wander Off

TEWKSBURY, MA — The Tewksbury Police Department announced Thursday that they have launched a program to help them respond more quickly to missing persons reports. Through the program, called Safe Watch, they are encouraging residents to tell the department if they have a family member with a high propensity to wander or who they otherwise think are likely to go missing. They will keep information on file, and are also offering GPS devices, provided by a non-profit, that people can wear. The information will help them respond, the department said.

"This will enable us to quickly push out the information to all officers with one click of a button in the event that someone has gone missing," according to the release. "In addition to wandering, we also want to be able to better serve our residents with disabilities. By having the information before responding to a call, officers will be better prepared to deal with any situation that may arise."

The GPS devices come from Project Lifesaver, a non-profit "that provides emergency responders and caregivers with the equipment and training required to protect and, when necessary, quickly locate individuals with cognitive conditions that cause the propensity to wander, such as those with Alzheimer’s or autism," the release continued. "Project Lifesaver member agencies have, to date, successfully located more than 3,600 special needs individuals during an episode of elopement; the average recovery times for these rescues are less than 30 minutes, which is 95% less time than standard operations."

Residents who want to enroll someone in the program, they fill out the Medical Alert Form and drop it off at the police station or email it with a phototo tewks_detectives@tewksbury-ma.gov.

"Each person will be entered in to our Safe Watch Program database; a review by our TPD Clinician will determine the suitability for the Project Lifesaver Program," the release said. "If you have any questions, please call Family Services Officer Kimberly O’Keefe at 978-851-7373 ext. 240."

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.