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February 18, 2009

Police reach fundraising goal for GPS bracelets

By Joni Quinn

A donation of $3,500 from the city Disabilities Commission helped the Haverhill Police Department reach its goal of raising $9,000 to buy a tracking system to help find people with medical conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or autism that might cause them to wander and become lost.

Police began the fundraising drive in the fall to buy a system using GPS software and bracelets that would allow the wearer to be located if a family member or caretaker alerted the police.

"With the generous financial support from the Disabilities Commission, we are now in a position to start the purchase process of our Alzheimer's (and) autism safety equipment. The program will provide an added layer of safety for special needs individuals and peace of mind for their loved ones," police Chief Alan DeNaro said.

"We all felt it was something worthwhile for the (Police) Department and the (Disabilities) Commission to partner on," said Vinny Ouellette, chairman of the Disabilities Commission.

The Haverhill Rotary and Exchange clubs have also donated to the fund.

"There's definitely a need for this, especially now that people are staying in their homes longer. Even though a lot of these people have lived here all their lives, they have a tendency to become disoriented and get lost at times when they're on their own," Ouellette said.

The Disabilities Commission will meet to determine the best way to refer residents to the program.

"We want to find a way to make the program easily available to people who have a need for it regarding a family member or a loved one," Ouellette said.

Haverhill police Officer Tim Donovan, who is the department's liaison to the senior community, has been working with families to sign up relatives who could benefit from the program.

In 2004, it was estimated that nearly 1,400 people in Haverhill over the age of 65 had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, according to Gerald Flaherty of the Alzheimer's Association. An estimated 120,000 people in Massachusetts have Alzheimer's. It is the seventh leading cause of death nationwide.

"This program will allow us to track people who are lost before disaster happens," Ouellette said.

For more information, contact the Haverhill Police Department at 978-373-1212, ext. 502.

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