Sheriff’s Office Finds the Lost

COURT HOUSE – Every parent likely knows the terror of turning around and finding their child has disappeared down an aisle at the supermarket, under a clothes rack at a department store, or from their front yard. 
That moment of panic usually ends when the child responds to their name being shouted at the top of their parent’s lungs.
Imagine that child has autism or Down syndrome, or the missing person is an adult with dementia and cannot respond. The same scenario that caused a moment of panic can turn into a matter of life and death.
The Cape May County Sheriff’s Office is hoping Project Lifesaver will make that feeling of terror a thing of the past.
Project Lifesaver fits a small wrist or ankle band on a client with autism, dementia or Down syndrome.
If the client, who must have a full-time caregiver, wanders away from home or becomes lost, sheriff’s officers can use a radio receiving device to locate the client.
“The receiver can pick up the signal from the bracelet from a mile away,” explained Project Lifesaver Coordinator Officer Dustin Phillips.
The Cape May County Special Services School Resource Officer took over the program in April, but Lifesaver became available in the county around 2005.
“The program was developed in Virginia in 1999. Cape May County got involved around 2000. We began training and gradually bought the equipment and got up and running a few years later,” Phillips said.
Sheriff Robert Nolan said the county has had the K-9 unit for years that searches for missing persons, but the office is always looking for ways to implement the technology.
“The dogs still assist in searches, and the K-9 officers are all trained in the new technology. It makes the citizens of Cape May County safer, and that is what we are always looking to do,” Nolan said.
The transmitter is about the size of a 50-cent piece.
Phillips said four officers going in four different directions can cover a radius of two miles in less than five minutes.
“Our officers have located clients on their way to the point where the person was last seen. The locator is really effective,” said Phillips.
Project Lifesaver is a nationwide program whose radio frequency is unique to the company. The second part of that frequency is unique to the person wearing the band. That allows a client, no matter where they are, to be located.
“If a client goes to Disney in Orlando, Fla., the caregiver can give the local authorities the client’s frequency, the local department enters it into their database, and the client is covered if they go missing,” Nolan explained.
Visitors to the shore can do the same thing.
Phillips said the county currently has 32 clients and an additional 13 available units.
Each receiver costs $1,075 and transmitters $275. Cases and batteries, that must be replaced bi-monthly, are an additional cost.
Sheriff’s officers change the batteries for clients at no cost. The office depends on donations to fund the program and partners with private citizens and groups like Faces 4 Autism. The program is free for county residents involved in the project. The program has been a great success, both locally and nationally, said the sheriff.
Cape May County has had four locations so far in 2018; nationally 3,314 clients have been located since 1999.
Not a single client wearing the band has gone missing and not recovered.
“This technology has a 100 percent success rate. You can’t argue with that,” Phillips said.
Nolan pointed out that 25 of the 39 officers in the Sheriff’s Office have been trained to use the technology and his goal is for all officers to know how to use the device.
“The only drawback to the program is that I don’t think all of the people that could benefit from it know about it,” Nolan said.
“I would hate for someone that could have benefited from this program become lost or injured in some way because they were unaware this was available,” he added.
Nolan said if people are uncomfortable with police coming to their house to receive the device or have the batteries changed, accommodations can be made.
“If people want to meet at a location other than their home, we will do that. We can meet at the county park, anywhere. We really want people to take advantage of the program,” said Nolan.
Nolan and Phillips asked that anyone with a loved one who could benefit from the program or people wishing to donate to Project Lifesaver contact them for information.
Nolan can be reached at 609-463-6420. Phillips can be reached at 609-465-6831.
To contact Carl Price, email cprice@cmcherald.com.