In a partnership between the state and the nonprofit Project Lifesaver International, life-saving equipment and training will be provided for 50 law enforcement agencies to assist in missing child searches, according to a media release from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The state will provide agencies with nearly 600 Project Lifesaver tracking devices at no cost for use on children younger than 18 who may have autism, Down syndrome or other type of cognitive impairment that puts them at risk for wandering or becoming lost, the release said. The transmitters, which are worn on the wrist or ankle, emit a tracking signal that allows a child to be located quickly after going missing.
The state purchased the technology using about $253,000 from its Missing and Exploited Children Special Revenue fund.
Sheriffs’ offices that already partner with Project Lifesaver will each receive 11 transmitters to add to their existing supply so they can assist more children. Chenango, Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie are among those counties, the release said.
Area parents may contact local sheriff's offices to find out if their children are eligible for a free transmitter, the release said.
The state Missing Persons Clearinghouse, part of the Division of Criminal Justice Services, is coordinating the initiative. Equipment distribution and training began Thursday and is to be complete by the end of June, the release said.
©2015 The Daily Star (Oneonta, N.Y.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
