The Gwinnett County Police Department, in partnership with Project Lifesaver, has launched a planned response to at-risk, missing persons and others with special needs that may become lost or wander. We have a team of trained personnel and special tracking equipment to help locate missing persons who are enrolled in the Project Lifesaver Program.

Project Lifesaver is a national proactive, electronic tracking program used to assist in locating people with cognitive disorders who may become lost and endangered. The primary mission is to return at-risk individuals, who are inclined to wander, safely home to their loved ones.

A lost individual with a tendency to wander due to Alzheimer’s disease, autism, or any other related cognitive disorder constitutes a critical emergency and presents challenges to law enforcement and other trained personnel during search and rescue operations. Although we cannot predict when an individual will become lost, Project Lifesaver may lead to more positive outcomes.

Project Lifesaver uses personalized radio transmitter bracelets, powered by small batteries, that emit constant radio signals 24-hours a day. Once the police are notified that a person registered in the program is missing from their caregiver, trained search and rescue personnel identify the signal using a specialized receiver and are able to track the missing person. This equipment is used on foot and by air, providing maximum coverage during search efforts which may extend several miles using the tracking equipment. Search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes. In over 2,000 searches nationwide, there have been no reported serious injuries or deaths and recovery times average less than 30 minutes.

Responsible parties of potential registrants seeking to enroll in the Project Lifesaver Program will meet with a Crime Prevention Officer to discuss enrollment criteria, caregiver responsibilities, and financial obligations.

If you have any questions, need more information, or would like to apply for enrollment in the Project Lifesaver Program, please contact Corporal Tebin Clack, Crime Prevention Coordinator at Tebin.Clack@GwinnettCounty.com or call 770.513.5116.