News Releases

Spotlight on the Montgomery County Police Department Autism Outreach Program

For Immediate Release: Friday, March 20, 2015

Aspen Hill

Yesterday at approximately 4:00 p.m., a mother was unloading items from her vehicle as her 10-year-old son played in the backyard. When the mother went to go check on her son approximately 15 minutes later, she realized that her son had left the yard. She immediately called 9-1-1.

The 10-year-old boy has Autism and is a member of the Department’s “Project Lifesaver” program. Among other safety measures that have been put in place, the boy wears a personalized bracelet that emits a unique tracking signal. If he wanders, officers are able to use radio frequency tracking equipment to locate him.

Yesterday, when 9-1-1 received the call for the missing boy, officers, to include Montgomery County search managers, quickly responded to the area. As some officers began to use the Project Lifesaver tracking equipment, other officers searched for the boy near bodies of water. (People with Autism are often attracted to water sources such as pools, ponds, and lakes, and may gravitate towards bodies of water when they wander).  Officers located a signal on their tracking equipment and located the 10-year-old male on a nearby street; he was located approximately 20 minutes after the 911 call was received.

Caregivers, community members, and officers can all work together to prevent wandering and ensure that individuals are quickly located if they do wander.  For more information or for assistance in dealing with wandering, please contact Officer Laurie Reyes via e-mail at : Laurie.Reyes@montgomerycountymd.gov.

More information about wandering prevention, the Autism Outreach Program, and Project Lifesaver can be found on the Department’s website at: http://www.mymcpnews.com/resources/project-lifesaver/

RLI

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Release ID: 15-085
Media Contact: mcpnews 
Categories: uncategorized