South Fulton police adopt Project Lifesaver to protect vulnerable residents | How it works
South Fulton Police use Project Lifesaver
The South Fulton Police Department has become the latest metro Atlanta agency to use Project Lifesaver to find people who wander, especially those on the Autism spectrum.
SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - In response to community advocacy, the South Fulton Police Department has adopted Project Lifesaver, a program designed to enhance the safety of individuals prone to wandering, such as children with autism and adults with dementia.
Why you should care:
It's still tough for Devon Lee to think back to the day over three years ago when her son, Kyle, went out for a bike ride in their South Fulton neighborhood and wandered into a backyard. That's when she says someone called the police.
Project Lifesaver in South Fulton
"He saw Kyle on his bike and he ended up asking him, ‘What is your name?’ Right. And so, Kyle says, 'What's your name?' because he was doing echelea, which is something that children – nonverbal children with autism – do. At that point, I think the officer thought he was just being like a smart aleck, or something. He asked Kyle to get into the car. Kyle did not get into the car," Lee said.
"It ended up with Kyle being handcuffed, and me being at the door screaming," she explained.
In the end, Lee said the officer realized Kyle had autism and didn't place him under arrest.
Since then, she's worked with South Fulton Police to find ways to better serve the autistic community. That's when they learned about Project Lifesaver.
It involves wearing a bracelet. If a person goes missing, law enforcement can then track the bracelet to find them.
"Out of 4,600 searches, we have found everybody 100% of the time, and the average time is 30 minutes," Alton Price, a Project Lifesaver instructor, explained.
"It just gives me a sense of security, where I'm not always on like, 'Where's Kyle?' You know? Because, God forbid – and I pray that it never happens – but God forbid, if he ever wanders off, that tool is there to help us when we need it," Lee said.
Project Lifesaver in South Fulton
What you can do:
The South Fulton Police Department is aiming to register 15 children and 15 adults within the city with cognitive conditions. You can sign up for the program here.
The Source: The South Fulton Police Department explained the inner workings of Project Lifesaver. FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Kim Leoffler interviewed Devon Lee, the mother who advocated to bring the program to her community.