By Former missing person joins South Yorkshire’s new GPS tracker trial
A new GPS tracker trial has been launched by South Yorkshire Police in a bid to protect those with dementia if they ever get lost.
Rik, 62, went missing from Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham earlier this month, so this new technology will make it easier for his family to trace him if he ever gets lost again.
Rik previously got lost whilst running a virtual marathon in the park on Sunday 3 October.
He was found on Tuesday 5 October at 8:30am by a member of the public in Beighton in Sheffield.
Police Search Advisor PC John Porter said: “Rik’s disappearance presented numerous challenges for us.
“Rik being relatively young and very physically fit meant that by the time he was reported missing there were a number of locations he could have travelled to.
“He also wasn’t carrying any electrical devices so we couldn’t track his movements.
“Due to his condition, Rik wouldn’t have necessarily responded if someone saw him or called his name.
“He’d be frightened and confused and his go-to response in that scenario would be to hide.
“We were heavily reliant on the number of resources from police and other agencies and also the public reporting sightings.”
The GPS tracker trial is the first of its kind and will reduce the anxiety families face in these kinds of situations.
50 families across the region will be accepted onto the 12-month trial in its initial run.
Only family members with power of attorney over their loved ones will receive these trackers.
Any information the trackers record can only be accessed by the police once authorised to do so.
The GPS devices are waterproof and can be made into a discreet and comfortable necklace or keyring.
Recipients will receive a year’s subscription to the software needed to track the device.
The app will also reportedly ‘geo-fence’ locations so that family members can be made aware if their loved one makes an unfamiliar journey.
If successful, the trial will be made permanent.
If you know someone who would benefit from this scheme, you can email the police at GPSTrialinfo@southyorks.pnn.police.uk.
