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The
Santa Monica Police Department is pleased to offer the community a
helpful new service that will give greater peace of mind to our
city’s senior citizens, their families, and caregivers.
Chief James Butts states; “Providing assistance and quality
services to our senior citizens is important to the Santa Monica
Police Department.”
“From
time to time, our officers are called upon to assist lost senior
citizens. Often, these
individuals are disoriented and unable to remember their names or
where they live. They
sometimes experience a long wait while the officers try to identify
and return them to the safety and comfort of their home. “
In
2000, the City of Santa Monica received grant funding from the Bureau
of Justice Assistance, a division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Santa Monica City Council has designated a portion of the
funds for the creation of an automated personal identification
registry. The registry will be strictly confidential and for the
exclusive use of Santa Monica police officers to search for
characteristics that match those of the lost person. The registry will greatly reduce the time it takes to
identify a person and notify the caregiver.
This program is entirely voluntary.
If
you or a loved one would like to be registered in this identification
program, please contact Sharon De Cruz, the project coordinator, at
(310) 458-8451 or e-mail sharon-de-cruz@santa-monica.org.
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