Cedar Hill Introduce HOME Program For Endangered Individuals
Autism Awareness Month in April aims to celebrate and promote acceptance for the condition that occurs in one in every 54 children as of 2020 in the United States.
The Cedar Hill Police and Community Team (PACT) developed a program called Helping Our Missing Endangered (HOME) to assist families with locating missing persons who are endangered due to a diagnosed medical condition that hinders cognitive ability and/or the ability to communicate. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, dementia and Autism. If your family member is prone to wander or run away from parents or guardians due to their disorder, the HOME program can help be the peace of mind you need during a time of crisis.
Once registered, if a special needs child or adult goes missing and is reported by a parent/guardian to the Cedar Hill Police Department, information about the person is made available to responding officers including: a detailed physical description, a recent photo, places the person may go, and de-escalation information that may help an officer calm the person once located. If the person has not yet been reported and is unable to communicate effectively with officers, a reverse search of the HOME database can be conducted based on physical descriptors in an effort to identify the person and contact a responsible family member.
