HomeSafe Program
Someone You Know May Be Eligible for a
Memory Impaired "HomeSafe" Bracelet.
Free from the Beaverton Police.
Program Summary
On a recurring and frequent basis, officers of the Beaverton Police Department were faced with trying to identify memory impaired people who had wandered from their residences or care facilities. As was most often the case, the individuals left their facilities without any identification an officer could use to contact their families or guardians. These situations were compounded in instances where individuals suffered injuries. In an effort to return these individuals safely and quickly to their homes, and to more effectively utilize officers' time, the idea of a HomeSafe Program was launched.
The HomeSafe Program, available to residents of Beaverton, is designed to aid emergency care providers in identifying where a displaced memory impaired person may belong when s/he has wandered away from his/her home or care center. The identification is made possible by a specially designed bracelet provided at no cost to the individual by the Beaverton Police Department. Bracelets are dispersed via trained volunteers who travel to the people's locations with the appropriate paperwork and bracelet. At the time the bracelet is delivered, the Beaverton Police Department volunteer collects all of the appropriate information to enroll the person in the program and takes a photograph, which is scanned into a confidential computer file maintained by the agency. The I.D. bracelet will have the following information: the front of the bracelet will have the BPD shield, "HomeSafe," and a serialized number, such as 001-500; the back will say "If located, please call BPD at (503) 526-2260."
The identification system can be used by:
- Officers. Officers locating a person in the program can contact the Beaverton Police Department's Records Division who can access their files and provide the officer with information on the person's caregiver or family.
- Citizens. Citizens locating a displaced person may call the number on the bracelet, which will connect them with the Beaverton Police Department's Records Division. Records will ask the citizen for the serialized number on the person's bracelet, and will then provide that information to central dispatch, which will send an officer to collect the person and return them to his/her home.
- Caregivers. Upon enrolling individuals in the program, caregivers are provided with the Beaverton Police Department's non-emergency dispatch number in the event the memory impaired person leaves the facility. The caregiver will give the dispatcher the individual's identification number so officers can be made aware of the situation and be given the appropriate information to locate the person, such as his/her photograph.
Through the implementation of HomeSafe, the Beaverton Police Department believes the quality of life for citizens within the city has been positively impacted by:
- Removing an element of fear for memory impaired individuals who become lost by providing a means for officers to return them home.
- Providing a sense of security to families and care centers who care about the safety and well-being of these individuals.
- Reducing the possibility of these individuals becoming victims of crime.
Through partnerships established within the community, the Beaverton Police Department received generous donations from neighborhood associations, the Optimist Club, and several businesses that allowed the Department to provide bracelets and enrollment in the program at no cost to citizens. The Beaverton Police Department is proud to say that the HomeSafe Program has a 100% success rate and has given officers a means in which to not only efficiently handle these difficult situations, but to handle them with care and swiftness.
How does the memory impaired person get their bracelet?
Trained volunteers will come to your location with the appropriate paperwork and a bracelet. All information, including a photograph taken at the time of bracelet delivery, will be scanned into a computer file maintained by the Beaverton Police Department. This information is kept confidential.
How is the memory impaired person identified?
When a memory impaired person is found wandering around, s/he can easily be identified through the I.D. bracelet. The "HomeSafe" bracelet asks that BPD be called. The person will be identified by the number on the bracelet. Beaverton Police Records Division will obtain information about the "HomeSafe" participant through the police computer system. This will allow us to contact the home or caregiver.
How is a lost memory impaired person located?
If someone needs to report a lost memory impaired person, they will call the non-emergency number (503) 629-0111. Dispatch will contact an officer. The person calling will give dispatch or the officer the "HomeSafe" I.D. number of the lost person. Police Records Division will obtain information about the person through the police computer system. Once Police Records has the I.D. number, a photo and pertinent information can be distributed to the public.
How to Enroll
For more information on HomeSafe, or to enroll an individual in the program, please contact the Beaverton Police Department at (503) 526-2562.
