"We developed AlaSafe.gov to help law enforcement agencies have access to information they will need so they can more quickly identify, confirm and return these individuals to their families or caregivers," said Maury Mitchell, ACJIC Director. "It is estimated that the average search for a lost or wandering person with dementia is nine hours, with a cost to law enforcement agencies of about $1,500 per hour. The law enforcement manpower and resource hours expended in no way compares to the agony faced by these individuals or their families, but it brings home the stark reality of the need for a better and faster way to share vital information in this event."
The concept for AlaSafe.gov was based on local paper-based registration programs provided by some Alabama law enforcement agencies. ACJIC was approached by the office of Alabama Attorney General Troy King with the concept of developing a statewide, web-based system in the Fall of 2004, after discussing an existing local program in the Guntersville area with that city's police chief, Scott Walls.
The AlaSafe.gov program is designed to supplement local programs such as Project Lifesaver, by providing statewide reach for the information through the Law Enforcement Tactical System (LETS), a secure internet-based search portal designed by ACJIC for Alabama's law enforcement officers. Project Lifesaver is a national Alzheimer's tracking and rescue program which has active programs in 26 Alabama law enforcement jurisdictions.
